Description
Black and gray feathers cover most of this arial warrior's body. She is tall
and slender, with pale green eyes and a relatively prominent beak. A long,
flowing train of mostly black feathers hangs over the back of her head like
hair, falling down her back almost to her feet. Her wings, once spread, are
nearly eight feet wide from tip to tip, and all midnight black except for a
splash of gray at the tips. Her claws and beak are razor sharp.
A few scars, apparently fresh, decorate her body. She has taken cutting away
all but the most essential parts of her armor, allowing her to move about at
lightning speed while she fights. A simple leather belt adorns her waist,
from which she has strung trophies taken from various mages she has slain.
Role
Character outline - young Lea having just begun her adventure
Added Tue Aug 16 14:13:07 2016 at level 11:
* Raised as an orphan in a poor agricultural community with no mages
* Dogmatic belief that magic is a shortcut for hard work that unfairly elevates
mages in society
* Skeptical of city/civilized life considering that most large cities include
both relatively large mage populations and a rich ruling class that doesn't
tend to the needs of the poor, values friendship and community like she knew
before she left home
* Typically arial in her desire to live a meaningful life and create change in
her world
* Very direct about her goals and intentions and will not hesitate to act when
she believes it is right
* Sees conflict, especially war and combat, as the best and quickest way to
enact change
* Potential flaw - lacks patience and therefore the ability to see the long
term consequences of her actions, especially the tremendously long term
consequences, which could lead to even greater conflict than she intends to
cause
* Had the opportunity to train as a thief, assassin, or ranger - she doesn't
like the idea of sneaking around so she chose warrior, she knows her life is
going to involve a lot of fighting and likes the idea of defeating her
enemies even when they know she's coming
Assorted thoughts on my youth
Added Thu Aug 18 01:19:32 2016 at level 16:
As I find myself approaching the age of maturity, and the physical prime of my
life, it seems proper to reflect on the years since I left home to find my way
in the world. Life is good. I have grown strong, stronger than I had dared
hope I would have been able to achieve at this point in my life. I am proud
that I have taken the harder road and come out better for it so far. I have
spent much of the past years schooling myself in the basics of any proper
warrior's training and it has paid of when I have had chance to cross blades
with mages and others who have thought to match themselves against me.
- - -
I earned my hut and my right to call myself a BattleRager earlier than
expected. The necromancer's blood proved my determination and skill, and the
conversation proved my wits, at least as far as Izqi was concerned. I like the
Drillmistress, and want to prove that her faith in me was justified.
- - -
I like all of my new brothers and sisters, so far. I had missed having a
family of sorts and there is a sense of camaraderie here that makes be believe
we will be able to do great things in our time. Soykay, a curiously nude
deep-elf who earned his hut just hours after I built mine, will make a good
defender I think. Cepoyr, whose heart is pure and whose fighting style I
admire, has been helpful. Commander Hallanaphas leads by example and sets
clear expectations.
- - -
The BattleRager oath to forego the temptations of magic arms, armor, and
potions has rewarded me with strength and focus that those who I see using
such things will never achieve. I have begun to find myself looking upon them
with pity, especially other warriors whose potential is so great if only they
would commit themselves the way we in the village have.
- - -
If I have one frustration, it is that the few mages I do manage to surprise
are usually quick to escape into invisibility. I look forward to earning the
gift of true sight - they will not be able to hide so easily, once that is
mine. If I were more patient, there were a few times I might have slain one of
the conjurers I hunted. Charging straight into battle seemed appropriate at
the time, and I could tell he was intimidated, but it would have been better
to finish the job.
A few thoughts on my future
Added Thu Aug 18 01:19:59 2016 at level 16:
I have started to think about the future as well. When I am able, I will
specialize in fighting with swords. At the same time as I earn the right to
specialize, I will begin learning how to strike the blows of deadly force that
berserkers are known for. I like the idea of being able to stick around in a
fight for a while, and I'm excited about some of the techniques available to a
fully trained blademaster.
- - -
I'd considered that it might be more prudent to train in maces or maybe axes,
to keep my enemies around once they decide they'd rather be somewhere else.
I'll need to address that weakness of a swordswoman's training at some point,
and one of the Macalla legacies I eventually learn should probably be able to
help me do so. Of course, there are a lot of them that I've been thinking
about, so time will tell.
Rumors
Added Sat Aug 20 18:48:23 2016 at level 26:
Word of Lea's exploits began to spread, and eventually reached the the village
she used to call home. Peddlars and travelling craftsmen, there to trade their
wares for a few copper and a sack of vegetables, shared stories with the men
and women who raised her.
"Lea? You mean, Lea Sablewing? Hah, that's how we all used ter call 'er. Yeh,
always knew she weren't long fer this place. Damn, if ya could have seen her
fly, though. Even when she were just a little one, them big black wings is
somethin' ter see."
"I hear she gives prayer to the Lord of Strife, Jormyr. One of my clients in
Hamsah Mu'tazz saw her drain blood from the corpse of mage shifted into the
form of a giant ant. I always knew those BattleRagers were savages, but that
even took me aback."
"Now, yer just bite yer tongue. Them damn mages gon' get what they got comin'
some day, might as well be Sable dat give it ter 'em. Hah! Jormyr, eh? Playin'
wit fire, worshippin' that one. I bet yer Sable can handle it."
Character outline updates - Lea having just reached maturity (age 22)
Added Mon Aug 22 14:06:45 2016 at level 29:
* Has come a long way since leaving her childhood home, home to her is now the
BattleRager village and her family are the other villagers
* Her appearance and mannerisms have started evolving to reflect Village life,
she wears her scars and trophies visibly and is demonstrably more concerned
about strength, honor, courage, and other Villager values than ever before -
she knows that staying true to these values will encourage others to do the
same as well as encouraging her enemies to keep fighting her, which she wants
* She spent three years gathering blood from as many of her slain enemies as
she could to offer to Jormyr in an attempt to please him which seems to have
worked - also added her own to this offering as proof that she knows she is no
different from those she fights and that she also exists in a constant state of
change and chaos
* Jormyr has impressed upon her the futility of her goals but she still clings
to them: as she told him, she wants to "reshape the world," to "leave it a
place barren of magic, full of only those who understand the truth of conflict"
the way she does
* In a bold moment she told Jormyr that she wants to wear his tattoo when he
asked what she wanted of him, and was bolstered by him telling her to continue
down the path she has walked over the last couple years in order to keep his
favor in the future
* There is some budding conflict with Ignolmeer and his church - Lea witnessed
an intrusion by Ignolmeer into Jormyr's shrine, and Ignolmeer showed himself to
her once before, both times attempting to sway her towards acting with the
intention of leaving the world a better place... (ooc note this was a really
memorable scene in Jormyr's shrine!)
* This conflict will probably revolve around what better means - to Lea and
apparently Jormyr, better means a world in which mortals embrace and "revel" in
the futility of their actions, which leads to chaos, battle, and all the things
Lea has come to not just think are important but to enjoy and to lust for... to
Ignolmeer better seems to mean a world in which the Light is dominant which Lea
doesn't ultimately care much about...
* One of Lea's non-Villager friends is an elf named Aiwin who worships
Ignolmeer, she wonders what will come of their friendship when she must fight
him - something she sees as inevitable if Ignolmeer continues to challenge her
faith and her Lord and that she might work to bring about by goading him into
a situation where it was acceptable for her to fight him, believing that she is
doing him a favor by bringing more conflict into his life
Contradictions in Lea's beliefs - the elf lord's challenge
Added Wed Aug 24 10:41:38 2016 at level 50:
Ignolmeer spoke with Lea again, at length this time. He was quick to point out
the contradictions in her beliefs, seizing on the paradox that is her devotion
to Jormyr and her acknowledgment of her own goals and desires. She knows that
everything she does is ultimately futile in the eyes of her Lord, and that
almost the entire history of mortal existence is one of people like her trying
and failing to make a meaningful impact on their world, but so far she has been
unable to dismiss her goals. For Jormyr, it seemed acceptable that Lea continue
to pursue her goals, so long as she understood their futility.
Lea's beliefs are fairly well formed at this point, but she struggles to give
voice to them the way a priest or preacher might. She has a deeply internalized
belief that Light and Dark are foolish concepts. They both distract people from
the more important war against magic, and prevent people from acknowledging how
meaningless their actions are, which in turn prevents them from enjoying life
as much as they might otherwise. After all, to Lea, if all actions and beliefs
have no ultimate meaning, everyone is free to pursue their own however they see
fit, which appeals to her because it ensures that there will always be conflict
and that she will always have another fight in front of her.
She is neutral - the middle path is one that may lead her to seem selfish, at
times. She wouldn't call herself such but she wouldn't mind if others thought
her so. It is important to her to not react poorly when she loses fights that
she didn't start, because she expects the same from others. It is very
important to her to make sure that her and those around her always have someone
to fight. One of the biggest ways she has changed since her youth is that she
genuinely enjoys war and combat, instead of simply thinking that war and combat
are important. They make her feel alive, full of energy. The adrenaline rush
from a kill, and the even greater rush from a mage kill, are what she lives for
now.
Ignolmeer's prodding will probably keep her from straying into the truly evil
path that she could have gone down if left to Jormyr's faith by herself. She is
inclined to say that her goals and the things she likes are better than the
other things there are to like in the world, but she will eventually give up
trying to convince others of that - what's the point? She probably won't become
what the elf lord seems to want, which is a reflective soul who acknowledges
that they are trying to make the world a better place for others - she is too
devoted to her Lord Jormyr, and fear of his wrath is a great motivator for her
even if she were more swayed by Ignolmeer's pontificating.
She might take up drinking. Hah!
A renewal by fire - Hallanaphas' death, encounters with the Scarab (p1)
Added Thu Aug 25 15:51:33 2016 at level 50:
Lea's last few months could have been difficult to bear were her faith in and
understanding of Lord Jormyr's tenets not strong. Instead, far from difficult,
they have rewarded her with a better sense of self and a stronger than ever
commitment to the Village and to her Lord of Strife.
She wanted to learn more from Hallanaphas before he passed. His death was good,
and he met it bravely: even though Lea knows these things, like all others,
carry no true meaning, she was glad to see him well prepared to die. Her last
conversation with him restored her devotion to the ways of Battle, and her
capacity to enjoy life and strive for change despite the fact that to do so is
futile. She thought he was trying to urge her to make a play for leadership in
his absence, and probably will do so if the opportunity presents itself, but
she knows that others in the Village have much more knowledge about the world
than she. If she can convince enough of them that her strengths outweigh her
weaknesses, and manages to bring others to heel in the Rites, she thinks she
would be able to do great things in command - and she is sure Lord Jormyr would
be most pleased.
The Voice of the Scarab stalked her. They did battle on the water, and fought
to a draw, which she took some pride in. Later, after she surprised the mummy
lord Undaraxyl and might have destroyed him had he not been so quick on the
recovery, she managed to avoid Jeede's attempt to assassinate her and, full of
rage, called on the ancient power of bloodthirst to try to bring his death. She
paid the price for her decision when, not moments later, two more fell upon her
and quickly dropped her dead.
In the ensuing conversation with Jeede, the two began to find some common
ground. Jeede seemed... not impressed, but perhaps satisfied... with Lea's lack
of surprise or dismay at having been slain by three. Lea, of course, was not
terribly impressed by the act, but took it as a compliment to her strength and
knows that reacting poorly would only hurt the Village and its cause. They
spoke for a short time, with Jeede mentioning that he had once allowed another
follower of Lord Jormyr's to study in his temple. At the end, they agreed that
they were not enemies, although Lea was left with the understanding that she
would be well served by being wary of the assassin coming to test himself
against her again, in the future. Lea appreciated his acknowledgement that it
is right to fight those who are not your enemies, whether only to revel in the
thrill of battle or to hone your skills. However, as a BattleRager, she will
never approach it like him and strike without warning.
A renewal by fire - Hallanaphas' death, encounters with the Scarab (p2)
Added Thu Aug 25 15:53:07 2016 at level 50:
With that conversation in mind, at her next opportunity without any mages or
enemies around, she challenged Malchazzar to fight. He was one of the two who
had slain her while she fought Jeede, and part of her wanted to name him her
enemy and pursue him until the end of time, but the better part of her knew not
to dishonor herself or the Village by doing so. Her death before was in the
past, and had not been such a bad thing after all, so while she wanted revenge,
she did not want it at the expense of her hut. The more decisions like this
that she makes, the easier it gets to make them: wisdom she may decide to pass
on to younger Villagers in need, once she thinks they are worth her time.
The fight with Malchazzar was ended quickly. Lea declined to enter the blood
thirst, didn't change her tactics to adjust to the dark-elf's, and her death
felt well deserved. Malchazzar honored her willingness to battle by guarding
her body until her return, and by conversing with her about similar matters as
she had spoken about with Jeede. He believes that Lea will ultimately do more
to help his causes than to hinder them, and she believes the same of him at
least as far as Lord Jormyr's desires are concerned. The two agreed that they
would not stand in each other's way, unless one were driven to directly
interefer in the other's affairs. They may fight again, for Lea will not stand
idly by while a mummy or invoker wakes, even if it means another difficult
battle with the Flame. Malchazzar, she thinks, might have made a fine Villager
had he wanted to. He promised to warn her if he had intention to strike at her
again, which she was impressed by. It will not be war between them.
The question of whether or not it should be war between the villagers and the
cultists is one that has come up frequently ever since Lea was granted her hut.
Izqi was going to tell her what Lord Jormyr has said as Lord of Battle about
the Nightwalkers. Right now, Lea sees no reason for war between the village and
the Scarab. If given the opportunity, she would continue Hallanaphas' policies.
Their mages will be hunted until the end of time, but their purpose is not
fundamentally opposed to the BattleRager's, and so their relic of power should
be respected, the same way they respect the Village's. Of course, if things
change...
Ironically, only in the Commander's death has Lea come to appreciate the real
necessity of keeping the Villagers in line with respect to such matters.
The smoldering remains of Aukhil's hut
Added Mon Aug 29 17:45:17 2016 at level 51:
When the Destructor or the Lords of Battle tell you something, you damn well
listen. You don't write a book, like you were some sort of Herald, about why
you wouldn't do anything differently if you could do it all over again. Lea has
never been overly fond of that duergar, but he knows his way around his staff
and maces and caved in a fair few heads that she knows about. She wasn't glad
to see him gone, and before she read his letter she had hopes that he would
find his senses and begin the long road towards earning his hut back, but as
she mentioned to the others on her way to her hut - if he doesn't earn his hut
back, he never deserved it in the first place.
Lea doubts that Aukhil accurately interpreted what the Destructor told him when
his hut was burned. Either that, or the duergar never cared about the war on
magic the way he claimed to, caring more for his meaningless belongings, and
decided to lie to the other Villagers to try to gain their sympathy. The second
seems like a real possibility, given the tone and contents of what he wrote.
If she were Commander, she would make sure to point out the lesson that all her
brothers and sisters should take to heart: we die, sometimes, and when we do we
often lose things that we value. Suck it up and go get new things, one way or
another. When she kills her enemies, Lea rarely takes more than one or two
things, preferring to challenge herself by earning more in future fights. This
also serves to encourage enemies she bests to keep fighting her - the last
thing she wants is to have trouble finding a fight!
It's a personal code, everyone has to decide for themselves how to treat
the belongings of the slain. For example, she has a pact with Muuksube not to
touch the others' belongings when one of them falls in battle to the other. It
was evidently an arrangement Hallanaphas had made with him, as well. She would
be amused if the Emperor broke his word if he does manage to kill her, and
actually expects him to and hopes he does, so that she can prove her
superiority over him and the orderly society he champions by keeping her own
promise...
As far as she's concerned, the only person Aukhil should have been mad at for
losing whatever it was he lost was himself, for getting himself killed.
Placing value on things is natural to mortals. Lea does it, even though she
knows it's stupid and fleeting and she probably shouldn't. That's life. To
compromise yourself in the war on magic to the point of bargaining to return
magical belongings to not just a mage, but one of the mortal leaders of the
sworn enemies of the village... not just does it degrade yourself and betray
the cause, but it makes every other villager look bad too.
Three swords
Added Mon Aug 29 17:45:40 2016 at level 51:
While thinking about Aukhil's failings, Lea couldn't help but feel a little
smug. Not long before the duergar's hut was burned, she had decided to stash
three of her more powerful weapons in the pit the Destructor watches while she
went to fight a thief with particularly quick fingers.
The Gods have a sense of humor, and the world went sideways. When it returned,
the swords were gone. Lea could have been frustrated, and she definitely wasn't
pleased, but instead of ranting and raving and making a fool of herself, she
made sure there weren't any immediate threats to the giant and the mage's head
and rounded up Cepoyr to help her start recovering her blades. Together, they
easily won back the one from the Past.
The trips to Mortorn and the Underdark took Lea to places she had never been
before. She had Cepoyr's help navigating Mortorn, but the two were seperated by
a demon and he had to depart before they could recover the second sword.
Undeterred, she led the demon through the Underdark, feeling her way through it
and leaving discrete marks on the tunnel walls so that she would be able to
move more quickly the next time she had reason to be there. After giving it the
slip, she was able to return to Mortorn and take back the second.
The last blade was held by the weaponmaster in Teth Azeleth. Lea found her way
there, fighting through spiders and drow guards the entire way. After a long
fight with the weaponmaster himself, the third sword was hers again - a real
prize, cursed and unable to be disarmed, unlike the one she had had before.
Although the true value of the adventure was in the confidence and experience
she gained navigating dangerous and unfamiliar places, the fact that she came
out of it armed even better than she had been before she set out reinforced for
her how inane it is when others hang their heads and complain about their lost
belongings instead of figuring out how to get something new and making it
happen.
My own two feet (and wings)
Added Mon Aug 29 17:46:48 2016 at level 51:
Lea knows that most others would have used some form of spell or commune to
help them move around the world and recover their health more quickly while on
an adventure like that of the three swords. She considers herself above them.
She knows she earned everything she got, and that anything she can do is credit
to herself or her friends in the Village. Part of why she learns so quickly is
that when she wants to know something, she goes and figures it out - no magic,
no shortcuts, just her, her swords, her brain, and sometimes the advice she can
glean from her friends or old maps.
Friend and foe alike have remarked upon how quickly she moves about various
paths and roads, sometimes even without being able to see such as while under
the effect of Jaelynn's songs of fantasia. Lea knows that if she were under
magic's influence and quaffed recall or teleportation potions instead of using
her own feet and wings, she wouldn't have nearly as strong a sense of how to
move about the world. It gives her a big advantage over some of her enemies
who don't take time to learn their surroundings like the backs of their hands.
Lea particularly enjoyed a recent trip with Joenne. The giant's pathfinding
skills allowed the two of them to move swiftly through many of the paths that
Lea is used to taking more time on. Each showed the other something they didn't
know before.
When the Lord of Strife last visited her, Lea asked him as a Lord of Battle about
how the next Commander would be picked. He told her that the Rites are not
as appropriate in this age as in ages past, and that he and Ysaloerye would be
watching, judging, and making the decision together. Although Lea had not
expected this news, she came out of the conversation encouraged to challenge
herself to become an even more capable communicator and a willing mentor to
other villagers, especially those open to advice. Lea is a berserker, but her rage
and bloodthirst are things she calls upon when she needs, and even when
under their influence she tries to keep a calm mind and clear head, qualities
that she sees as important in any Villager but especially one who wishes to
lead. Courage, strength, wisdom, and intelligence - all four make a BattleRager.
Whether or not she is chosen, she knows she will come out of this audition
of sorts a more capable and deadly fighter, a better sister to her friends in
the Villager, and more knowledgeable of all the secrets Thera hides.
PK Wins
Aug 16, 2016|Lv 12|The Eastern Road|Azyxog vs 1: [12] Lea (100%, cut)
Aug 18, 2016|Lv 16|Voralian City|Ozaogris vs 1: [16] Lea (100%, wrath)
Aug 18, 2016|Lv 17|Voralian City|Karnila vs 1: [17] Lea (100%, wrath)
Aug 19, 2016|Lv 20|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Farrin vs 1: [20] Lea (100%, wrath)
Aug 20, 2016|Lv 27|The Eastern Road|Grablik vs 1: [27] Lea (100%, divine power)
Aug 21, 2016|Lv 27|Udgaardian Plains|Kirrakar vs 3: [28] Shyloq (39%, thrust), [30] Grenli (60%), [27] Lea (0%)
Aug 21, 2016|Lv 28|The Village of Azuremain|Batrifi vs 2: [35] Eoberkeal (12%), [28] Lea (87%, slice)
Aug 21, 2016|Lv 29|The Eastern Road|Tangor vs 2: [29] Lea (76%, slice), [35] Eoberkeal (23%)
Aug 21, 2016|Lv 29|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Chirkaw vs 2: [29] Lea (80%, thrust), [35] Eoberkeal (19%)
Aug 21, 2016|Lv 29|The Eastern Road|Batrifi vs 2: [29] Lea (75%, parting blow), [35] Eoberkeal (24%)
Aug 22, 2016|Lv 42|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Peppeni vs 2: [47] Eoberkeal (32%), [42] Lea (67%, divine power)
Aug 24, 2016|Lv 50|The Plains of Arendyl|Peppeni vs 1: [50] Lea (100%, flurry)
Aug 25, 2016|Lv 50|BattleRager Village|Chirkaw vs 2: [50] Lea (11%, flurry), [39] Izabella (88%)
Aug 26, 2016|Lv 50|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Velenkoth vs 1: [50] Lea (100%, slice)
Aug 26, 2016|Lv 51|The Eastern Road|Worthag vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slash)
Aug 26, 2016|Lv 51|The Eastern Road|Rodacir vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, parting blow)
Aug 26, 2016|Lv 51|The Eastern Road|Rodacir vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slash)
Aug 27, 2016|Lv 51|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Chirkaw vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, parting blow)
Aug 27, 2016|Lv 51|Galadon|Cyrenios vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, punch)
Aug 29, 2016|Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Peppeni vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slice)
Aug 30, 2016|Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Annkhu vs 3: [45] Qenatne (0%), [51] Lea (93%, parting blow), [49] Izabella (6%)
Aug 30, 2016|Lv 51|BattleRager Village|Cepoyr vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slice)
Aug 31, 2016|Lv 51|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Cyrenios vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, pierce)
Sep 1, 2016 |Lv 51|BattleRager Village|Joenne vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slash)
Sep 1, 2016 |Lv 51|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Flummin vs 2: [51] Lea (22%), [51] Cepoyr (77%, pierce)
Sep 3, 2016 |Lv 51|A Virgin Forest|Cyrenios vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slash)
Sep 3, 2016 |Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Halith vs 2: [51] Lea (86%), [51] Jebbilus (13%, torrent of lightning)
Sep 3, 2016 |Lv 51|Bramblefield Road|Cyrenios vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, punch)
Sep 3, 2016 |Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Obscurica vs 1: [51] Lea (100%, slash)