Faylandrea "Fayla" Shor

Example Eldari Warrior

Character information

Name: Faylandrea “Fayla” Shor
Appearance Age: 19
True age: 40
Sex: Female
Personality: Faylandrea Shor dislikes her name for several reasons. She dislikes “Faylandrea'' because she thinks it makes her sound more aristocratic than she would like, and thus makes everyone she meets call her “Fayla”. As for her surname, having such a storied and revered family name is a weight all of its own. The legacy of her grandfather, the great hero Dalrodir Shor, draws attention and scrutiny from every corner of Eldari lands, and even beyond. Her parents have also created their own story in Eldari lore. Her mother, Mariel Shor, is a powerful Magi serving as a member of the Golden Council, and is the only daughter of Dalrodir Shor. Her father, Calrados Insari, was a renowned Eldross ranger. Together, the union of Mariel and Calrados was the first of its kind and as such, only served to magnify the already uncomfortable level of attention Fayla had to endure.

Fayla generally tries to distance herself from the Shor name as much as possible. She dearly loves her mother, and the death of her father has left a deep void in her life that she can never fill. Fayla also grew up listening to stories about her grandfather’s exploits. Indeed, Dalrodir Shor was Fayla’s inspiration for choosing the Warrior Path, and she has a deep respect for the skill and honor he possessed. However, her lineage meant that expectations were always going to be higher for her, and she desperately wishes to leave the shadow of her family and gain renown on her own merit, rather than by her relations. This quality endeared her to Yavanna Elbereth, Fayla’s teacher in the academy and one who went through a similar journey. The two maintain a respectful mentor/pupil relationship, but with a silent fondness added on.

Underneath all of this, Fayla is a down-to-Asmir and courageous young Eldari Warrior, who likes nothing more than to roam the lands, recording all of the sights and sounds Asmir Ka’Lesa has to offer in her trusty journal. She hates all of the stifling and boring diplomatic functions she has been forced to attend at the behest of her mother, and has been known to not show up on occasion. Fayla has very little time for diplomatic protocol and ceremony, a trait not lost on Mariel, as she has been forced to apologise time and again for her free-spirited daughter’s misdemeanors. Fayla has a far simpler approach to life - spend time on people who deserve it, and forget those who don’t.

Despite their contrasting outlooks and sensibilities, Fayla does share an unbreakable bond with her mother, a bond only strengthened by the death of her father at the hands of a rogue Heanta ambush party. Fayla understands her mother’s values and reasons for doing the work she does, while Mariel understands that her daughter was never meant to be caged, and for the most part gives her free reign to thrive out in the wild. This wild side of Fayla was inherited from Calrados, and to repress it would not be right. Fayla has also displayed the stubbornness and dry sense of humor of the Shor bloodline, but also possesses the compassion and honor that earned both Dalrodir and Mariel so much respect.

Fayla possesses a deep sense of honor and a thriving curiosity of the world, and it is these traits that allowed her to strike a solid friendship and rivalry with Valatrix. It would seem that fate played its part in bringing together the granddaughters of the two mightiest heroes in the history of Asmir Ka’Lesa, and they have been inseparable ever since. Were it not for the physical differences, they could be mistaken for sisters. Fayla is fiercely protective of Vala, but they have been known to frequently have sibling-like squabbles, a lot of the time about the most inane of subjects. Together, they are both formidable and powerful, but they are also childish and immature. Indeed they have been known to squabble about whose turn it is to fight when faced with some of the land’s mightiest monsters and enemies.

When it comes to fears, like Vala, there is generally no foe that Fayla is afraid of. She is a risk-taker and a daredevil, with her never-say-die attitude getting her out of situations almost as often as her skill. However, she has intense claustrophobia, sometimes having panic attacks in too small of a space, and she avoids crowds whenever she can. Mariel is well aware of this, and only asks her to be present at sparsely attended functions, in large rooms whenever possible. Fayla also has a deep-seated fear of necromancy and the Undead. Though Undead have yet to be sighted in Asmir Ka’Lesa, the stories she has heard from ship captains and traders have her on edge of the very thought of them.
Likes/dislikes: Fayla likes Yavanna Elbereth(her sword instructor from the academy), apples, travelling and fighting. She hates being compared to previous Shors. She also dislikes wasting time with politics and ceremony.
Fears: Confined spaces, crowds, Undead.

Appearance

Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 136lbs
Appearance: Fayla appears as a lithe and slightly-built young Eldari. She possesses a striking resemblance to her mother, Mariel, inheriting her striking gaze, soft features, light-brown hair, and large ears. Emotions are easily conveyed through her expression, and she has been known to use this to her advantage on occasion to get out of things she doesn’t want to do, though her mother has learned to see through this ruse. The most noticeable thing about her appearance is her green eyes. Whereas Eldari normally have yellow eyes, Fayla has inherited her father’s Eldross eye colour.
Clothing: Fayla’s choice of clothing is heavily influenced by her father’s upbringing. Enjoying her time out in the wilds far more than the stuffy political events her mother had to go to, she leaned more towards the simple but practical garments of the Eldross Rangers. Her customary outfit consists of an olive-green tunic with a moss-green undershirt, moss-green padded gauntlets that cover the forearms, dark-green pants and a pair of simple dark-green walking boots. The one piece of elaboration in the outfit is a small leaf-shaped brooch of pure Divinium. The brooch is usually worn on the strap of her quiver, though when Fayla travels it is used to secure a black hooded travel cloak around her shoulders.

Fighting style

General Fighting Style: Fayla is an eager and usually reckless combatant. While she is a decent archer, she only really uses her bow to harry an opponent as she charges, or to hit targets she can’t reach. Once engaged in close-quarters, Fayla really comes into her own, and becomes a dangerous proposition for a potential foe. Fayla is well-versed in the traditional Eldari blade arts, and against lesser enemies this is usually enough. However, for the tougher opponents out there, a bit of creativity is required. Fayla is in her element when battles degenerate into ugly slugfests. She is a scrappy fighter, and she thrives in a chaotic environment, using the resourcefulness she inherited from both her father and her grandfather. She will use increasingly unorthodox techniques to keep the opponent on the back foot, formulating tactics on-the-fly instead of having an actual battle-plan. Fayla loves the thrill of the fight, and she gets better with every battle.

In the Heanta youth known as Valatrix, Fayla has both a perfect partner and rival. When the two team up and actually take a fight seriously, they are a match for many a foe. The two have an almost-telepathic link with each other, anticipating strategies and strikes seamlessly. Fayla attacks with a speed-based offense to make up for her lack of physical strength, and tries to maximise her natural strengths by using her environment to her advantage.

-Combat Stats-

Strength || Fair
Speed || Very Good
Agility || Good
Durability || Fair
Stamina || Good
Magical Power || Poor

Strengths:
Sword Skill: Fayla was a prodigious talent with a blade from a young age. This talent has only gotten better as she has matured. Even amongst her own race, Fayla is a renowned swordfighter with few equals amongst her peers.

Quick Wit: Fayla has an incredibly quick mind, and is able identify openings and weaknesses in an opponent’s defence quite rapidly. Translating this info to her limbs is another story, but it’s a start. She’s also adept at finding strategic details in her surroundings, making her a very resourceful fighter.

Resistance to Mind-Altering Abilities: Fayla has a very strong mind, and has inherited her mother’s stubbornness. Once her mind is set on something, it generally doesn’t change, and this bull-headedness means that her mind is quite difficult to coerce.

Weaknesses:
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Fayla has invested so much in fighting with her race’s chosen weapon, to the detriment of her unarmed melee combat. She is not afraid to throw fists, but her lack of training combined with her below-average physical strength means she generally comes off worst in those scenarios.

Recklessness: Fayla is an intelligent fighter, but she tends to lead with her heart over her head, and the result is she often gets into scrapes that she could otherwise have avoided if she stopped to think a little. She also takes an inordinate amount of risks, so much so that it Mariel considers it a miracle that she still has a daughter left at all.

Weakness to Fire: Fayla is quite susceptible to fire attacks, taking 50% more damage from such attacks and abilities.

Weapons

Primary Weapon: Grace
Description: Grace is an elegant weapon, even by Eldari standards. It resembles the Eldari Saiphir, but much larger. It’s curved blade is 40 inches long, and its handle is 10 inches long. The inscription on the blade is written in Eldari, and it reads “By the Grace of Na’Sora, you will be free, my flower.”. The handle is an elegant curved design with a vine pattern engraved in gold, and finished with a burnished gold pommel. The blade itself has a similar vine design engraved along its length with the inscription lying along it. There is a spur about 6 inches above the guard, and there is no edge between the spur and the guard. This serves as an extra gripping point when extracting it from an enemy. The scabbard is made of ash wood and covered in leather, with a gold design painted along its length. Instead of hanging at Fayla’s hip like a traditional Saiphir does, Grace’s scabbard is attached to a harness on her back that also holds her quiver and bow.The harness is set as such that Fayla reaches over her left shoulder for Grace, and over her right for Vigilance and arrows.
Ability: After being dispossessed of Grace in many fights and sparring matches, Fayla had her mother place an enchantment on it that allowed her to retrieve her blade quickly when this happens. Fayla simply calls her blade’s name and it will instantly recall to her hand, no matter where it may be.

Secondary Weapon: Vigilance
Description: Vigilance is a perfect example of the amount of elegance one can pack into a very simple design. The bow is of a standard longbow design but a bit smaller to accommodate Fayla’s small frame, being made of Twilight Wood and about 4 feet long when strung. The quality of the wood means that the bow can be carried around strung without losing any of its effectiveness. It shares the same fine gold detail along its length, and the quiver is also ornately decorated. The arrows Fayla leaves home with are about 2 feet long, with the flights made from swan feathers, but dyed an autumn red color. The arrowheads are a mostly bodkin design, with spurs near the base for maximum damage. Unless geared up for a large battle, Fayla generally carries 20 arrows in her quiver, Vigilance has an effective range of about 200 yards. The quiver is attached to the harness that holds the scabbard for Grace, and also has a holster that allows Vigilance to remain strung while in it, permitting relatively quick access when needed.

Eldari Racial Abilities

Poison Resistance: Because the Eldari are inherently magical beings, their bodies are far faster at locating and eliminating threats that would infiltrate them. As a result, they recover much quicker from the effects of poisons than other races would. This cuts 1 post of duration of all poisons inflicted on an Eldari. For example, if an Eldari is inflicted with a poison that lasts for 4 posts, it will only last for 3 posts. It also increases a poison's grace period by a post.

Prestidigitation: - This ability is a minor magical trick that novice spell-casters use for practice. You create one of the following magical effects within range:

• You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor.
  
• You instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
  
• You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot.
  
• You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour.
  
• You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.
  
• You create a non-magical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts for a few minutes.
  

Warrior Abilities

(As you invest ability points into your Warrior Abilities, list the abilities and their levels here, e.g. “Elemental Blade: Ice Level 2” or “Blessing of Na’Sora: Physical Level 2”. For the full list of Warrior Abilities, go here.)

Stone Level 1

Custom Powers

Name: Spectral Clones
Type: Support
Description: Fayla puts her hands together in front of her, and a pair of clones appear on either side of her. The clones operate independently of her, but if Fayla takes damage of any kind the power will end.

Summon Name: One and Two Summon Description: Fayla’s clones look identical to her, with the same clothing that Fayla is wearing when she summons them. Both clones are armed with spectral versions of Grace, and they can inflict damage in the same way, but they have no powers. However, the clones can be destroyed with a direct hit to any part of their bodies. They have inherited Fayla’s personality, but with the traits turned up to eleven. They are reckless, cocky and loud. They are also not very bright, and rely on being told what to do by Fayla to not mess up their jobs. Combat Stats Strength || Poor Speed || Good Agility || Average Durability || None Number of Summons: 2 Duration: 3 posts Maintenance Cost: 2 power points Cooldown: 2, plus 1 per post of duration.

Name: Wild Step
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: If Fayla is in physical contact with a living tree or similar flora, she can “step” through it, essentially phasing out of existence and reappearing at another tree up to 100ft away.
Cooldown: 2 post

Apprentice Martial Powers

Name: Second Chance
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: Varies
Description: A reaction power, Fayla jumps back roughly a foot and slashes the air towards her previous position, leaving a “clone” in her place. The clone is made of stone and exists only for a split-second, and serves to take an incoming attack. She can make several versions of this clone, and she incurs the appropriate costs. If the clone is overpowered, the attack it blocks is reduced in damage by the strength of the clone, but continues on unimpeded.
Cooldown: Average = 3 posts, Weak = 1 post, Very Weak = No cooldown, but still consumes 1 Power Point per use.

Name: Strike Slash
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: 2x Weak
Description: Fayla suddenly assails her foe with two blindingly fast slashes from her blade. The first slash comes from Fayla as she moves forward, and then Fayla “flash-steps” to the left, right or above, leaving an afterimage behind for a split-second. The second slash comes from the new angle, keeping the enemy on their toes.
Cooldown: 2 posts


Name: Na’Kora’s Light
Type: Healing
Description: Fayla can transfer her energy to wounded ally, healing their wounds over time. She can do this either by physical contact with the patient, or she can transmit this healing energy through a beam from her hands. This can reach a patient up to 20ft away, but this adds a post to the time required to heal the target, and she must have a clear line for the beam to get to the target.
Effect: As long as contact is maintained, the target's wounds will be healed. The more severe the wounds, the longer this healing will take. The scale is as follows:

Damage Category	Time needed	Examples
Light	1 post	Cuts, bruises, hairline bone fractures, light burns
Moderate	2 posts	Deep lacerations, minor bone fractures, moderate burns
Heavy	3 posts	Multi-layer lacerations, bone breaks, 3rd degree burns
Severe	4 posts	Minor organ damage, Multi-point bone breaks, severed limbs, charred flesh
Critical	5 posts	Moderate organ damage, severed limbs, major blood loss

Limbs can be reattached using this healing, but not regrown using this method of healing.
Limitation: This ability requires hands on contact. Cannot be used if the user is in the second stage of exhaustion state or higher. Only restores the target's physical body. It does not restore their stamina or magical energy.

Name: In The Zone
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Fayla can temporarily focus her power, augmenting her physical capabilities for a short time. She gains a +1 boost to both Agility and Speed for 2 posts.
Cooldown: 4 posts

Regular Martial Powers

Name: Thousand Thorns
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Very Weak x20
Description: In the time it would take to normally perform a few attacks, Fayla peppers her opponent with many rapid strikes, though not a thousand as the name suggests. Over the course of 2 to 3 seconds, Fayla augments her speed with magical power, allowing her to send 20 sword jabs her opponent’s way. The jabs are weaker than a full weapon thrust, and they are not accurate as such, being more of a scatter-shot pattern of attack. This attack struggles with medium armor and above.
Cooldown: 2 posts

Name: Nature’s Wrath
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Strong
Description: Fayla channels her energy into her blade and jabs it into the ground. The energy travels through the ground, and manifests underneath the target. The ground juts up at alarming speed, taking the form of a sword tip. The sword tip is made of stone, and can cause a lot of damage if a creature is caught by it. The sword tip is 5 feet long, 3 feet wide, and resembles the tip of a Lhang sword.
Cooldown: 4 posts

Regular Boosts: Speed +1, Agility +1, Stamina +1, Magical Power +1


Name: Split Personalities
Type:
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Elite Martial Powers

Name:
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Name:
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Elite Boosts:

Background

History:
This is a question that Faylandrea Shor has both asked and been asked for most of her life. Born in Gilderan in 961AII as the only child of Mariel Shor, Fayla already has to deal with the spotlight generated by her mother’s exploits alone. Mariel was a spellcasting prodigy, honing her skill to become one of the most powerful Magi of her generation. She became revered not only for her magical prowess but also for her wisdom and leadership. She was a member of the Eternal Watch, the youngest to be recruited to this point. Excelling first as an intelligence-gatherer and later as a healer, it was during her tenure in the Watch that she met Fayla’s father. Calrados Insari was an Eldross, the Eldari off-shoot race that thrived in the forests before being almost wiped out by the dragon Onyxus during Age II. His skills as a ranger and tracker, as well as his expert marksmanship with a bow, saw him recruited to the Watch as High-Watcher of the Eldross Guild. As a result, there was already a great deal of expectation and attention put on Fayla’s shoulders from a young age. This is only amplified by the legacy of her grandfather.

Dalrodir Shor was the greatest warrior in Eldari history, with his swordsmanship inspiring the many Eldari to take up the Warrior path. The Shor name is etched in legend due to his exploits, and he is revered in Gilderan as a hero. Fayla was also inspired to the Warrior Path by hearing stories from her mother about Dalrodir’s epic confrontation with Ren the Hornless, culminating in the two defeating a Kishin Dola that threatened to destroy both men, as well as his defeat of the Undari champion Analia Morin. However, while she had inherited her grandfather’s sense of honor and justice, she also shared her father’s free spirit and intolerance of restrictions, be they physical or ceremonial. This constant conflict between what Fayla was expected to be and what she wanted to be resulted in her becoming disillusioned with Eldari society, preferring the openness of the wilds to the stodgy rigidity of the nobility.

Fayla was rambunctious and reckless from a very young age. Her early childhood was filled with scrapes and bruises as Fayla discovered new things in the world around her. She climbed everything in sight, from small trees in the garden and rocky formations on the coast to bigger trees in the forest and beachside cliffs. Her time as a child was also punctuated with repeated visits to the city healers as a result of these dangerous endeavors. However, these setbacks never deterred young Fayla from trying again, climbing ever higher. Mariel called Fayla her “little pegasus”, knowing that Fayla too would fly high one day.


As Fayla got older though, she found that her sense of freedom began to fade away too. At the age of 10, in accordance with Eldari tradition, she began to receive her education and training to be a productive member of society. Mariel originally intended for Fayla to follow her in taking the Path of the Magi, but Fayla lacked her mother’s focus and natural aptitude for magic. She had some skill, but Fayla had trouble with the more complex components of magic, and struggled to keep up with her classmates. Mariel, although slightly disappointed by Fayla’s lack of magical attunement, did not give up on her daughter, allowing Fayla to take the Path of the Warrior instead, while providing her with additional magical training herself. In stark contrast to her struggles as a Magi, Fayla was a natural Warrior. She learned the Eldari fighting techniques very quickly, with her natural physical attributes lending themselves extremely well to the art of sword-fighting. She enjoyed the adrenalin rush that she got from fighting, and she proved especially formidable when fights became scrappy, adapting quickly to her opponents and identifying openings as they presented themselves.

However, one problem Fayla still encountered was a lack of discipline and focus. She got bored easily and quite often strayed from her instructor’s orders during training missions. She would routinely test the dedication and patience of her teacher, Yavanna Elbereth. Yavanna was a highly renowned Warrior who had served the Eternal Watch for centuries, and was the best technical swordswoman the Watch had to offer. Yavanna had gone through a difficult path on her way to greatness, as she lacked the physical gifts of her peers, but she powered through on determination and skill alone. Fayla loved her because while she looked like a beauty queen, she could easily kick your ass if you got on her bad side. But alas, the loss of her father would give her the perspective she needed to knuckle down and train hard to become the Warrior she is today,

Calrados Insari had become one of the most respected High Watchers in the Eternal Watch. He was respectful, compassionate, and a very creative thinker, with world-class bow skills to boot. Ever since the Eldross had been nearly wiped out nearly a century ago, the survivors had settled in a forest in Endaron, with the most able of them joining the Eternal Watch. He had met Mariel Shor while she was also part of the Watch, and their love had blossomed almost immediately. They married in 951AII, and Fayla became the first child born to a union of Eldross and Eldari, encouraging a new day for both races. But no happy tale is safe in Asmir Ka’Lesa, and in 973AII Calrados was out on a scouting mission when his unit was ambushed by Heanta just outside Endaron. Although no body was discovered, Calrados and his unit were presumed dead, and a funeral service was carried out in Gilderan, and a memorial was built in the Ashaya Forest, the site of the new Eldross colony. Fayla made a decision that day. Her father always told her that she had it in her to be the best, and it was time to prove it.

Fayla used both her father and grandfather as a focusing influence as she grew and learned. She was already one of the most naturally gifted swordswomen of her age group, and she honed her skills even more, driven to succeed by memory and sheer determination to be the best. Over the next 10 years Fayla reached the point that she was defeating adult Warriors in sparring, even giving Yavanna a run for her money at times. She would request frequent sparring sessions with Yavanna, something the elder Warrior was only too happy to provide, even bringing her old squadmate Rowan Aratris as an extra opponent.While she lacked physical strength, she was quick and elusive, and was a very creative fighter. However, as she gained renown for her prodigious talent, the spectre of her grandfather reared its head again. She became known to a majority of people as simply Dalrodir’s granddaughter, and started to become overwhelmed by the attention she was getting from her peers, in the form of both jealousy from her classmates and scrutiny from her superiors. Over time she grew to resent the weight her family name brought, and sought to distance herself from it whenever possible. When she reached the age of 21 it became time to receive her own sword. She was given the option of using Hadhrohir, the Lhang sword made famous by her grandfather. However, she refused and instead forged her own sword called Grace, a two-handed version of the Saiphir infantry sword, and mastered a different fighting style to go with it. She also chose to pursue archery to complement her swordwork.


Fayla rose up through the ranks quickly, but it wasn’t long after this point that she received her first taste of the real world. In Mirallas, a small village in Endaron near the Heanta-Eldari border, a 23-year-old Fayla was posted for a few days in order to take part in some training exercises. She had trained well, working hard to take in everything during her time there. On the last night however, she would face the sternest test of her young life. She had retired to bed after the day’s endeavors, and night watch took over for the evening. Mirallas only possessed a small garrison, as heavier defenses were focused on the actual border, and they were expected to at least be able to provide decent warning should anything make it past.

Fayla awoke with a start to sounds of fighting in the village outside. She did not have time to throw on her armor, so she entered the fray with only her rest clothing and Grace to protect herself. Emerging from her barrack she immediately saw a Human man being attacked by a Heanta. The butchery before her drove any hesitation she would have had from her mind as she hit the Heanta straight in the ribs with a stiff kick, and then impaled the creature with Grace as he tried to recover. Extracting her sword from her first victim, Fayla turned to see a female Heanta staring at her. The Heanta grinned at her, and raised her fists to fight. Fayla took a deep breath, and prepared to begin.

Fayla took up an aggressive stance and surged forward with purpose. She swung her blade across, attempting to take the female’s head off. The Heanta ducked the slash and closed the distance driving a fist forward towards the girls gut. Fayla’s breath was knocked out of her as the blow connected, sliding backwards a couple of feet. Reacting by instinct, she kicked off the ground suddenly, lunging forward with a vertical slash downwards. However, the initial attack was a feint as she swiftly dropped to her knees and slid low, attempting to sweep her foe’s legs out from underneath her. The Heanta raised her arms to block the incoming attack knowing the metal of her drakna would easily stop the blade. However when Fayla dropped into a sweep kick, she caught her leg, sending her over. The Heanta rolled through and sprang back onto her feet in a lithe movement.

A rapid exchange of attacks followed, with each party holding their ground. Fayla was starting to be pushed back a small bit, when their attention was dragged from the fight by the horrified screams of a woman. Fayla turned to locate the source of the scream. A mother and child were cowering by a low wall as a pair of Heanta stalked them, preparing to go for the kill. Fayla disengaged from the fight immediately and charged the two Heanta, roaring at them to draw their attention. They spun upon hearing Fayla’s war cry, though by that time one of the Heanta collapsed to the ground in half as Grace sliced through his midriff, cutting him clean in two. By the time the other attacker processed that information, he too fell victim to Grace’s cold embrace. Fayla turned to the mother and child, telling them to run. They did so, but as the mother turned to thank her, her eyes widened and she yelled a warning instead. Fayla turned as a huge Heanta swung his hammer at her. She managed to get her weapon up in time, but the force of the blow was too great and she felt her left arm break as she was sent flying through a wooden house wall, her vision fading to black.

When Fayla came to, she detected two things immediately. First, her left arm was definitely broken as pain seared her from the shoulder down when she tried to move. Second, she could no longer hear screaming. Biting her lip to not cry out with the pain, she extracted herself slowly from her would-be wooden tomb, and retrieved her sword from where it had fallen. Suddenly a wall gave way nearby, and she was confronted with the face of her assailant. The massive Heanta raised his hammer, but then turned away when a female voice shouted to him from behind. While he was distracted, Fayla desperately looked for a way to escape. She spotted an opportunity as she scanned the room. Before the Heanta turned back around to claim her, she kicked a support beam out, collapsing the roof behind her while she escaped out a small window. She turned to scan the village for more survivors, but all she saw were Heanta and the dead. Fayla bowed her head in sadness, before taking off into the forest.

It didn’t take Fayla long to realise she wasn’t alone. She stopped behind a large tree to catch her breath. She tore the sleeve from her shirt and created a makeshift sling with it. Then, gritting her teeth, she let out a stifled cry as she set her broken arm and fitted her sling. Slumping against the tree, in pain and exhaustion, Fayla heard the rustling of foliage and the voices that signalled that she was now prey. She climbed the tree as quick as her injuries would allow, and watched as a party of Heanta, led by the large one from earlier, entered a clearing just below her. They stopped and scanned around for their quarry, but eventually started to move off. Fayla watched as one of them strayed behind, looking around. He looked up suddenly, gazing directly at her. Before he could yell, Fayla judged the angle rapidly, and dropped onto him, plunging Grace down his throat as he opened his mouth. However, the attack made enough noise that she knew she had been heard anyway.

Just as Fayla withdrew her blade from her victim’s carcass, she heard a booming voice from across the clearing, and she saw the large Heanta approaching, flanked by 4 of his cronies. Fayla knew she lacked the speed in her current state to escape, so she readied herself to fight. The large one stood in front of her, grinning hungrily, as the others surrounded her. She swivelled her head to try and keep watch on all of them as they moved, but her chances of survival diminished by the second. Suddenly, she was struck from behind with a stiff kick, sending her flying forward towards the large Heanta. She swung her blade one-handed at him, but he simply batted away the strike and punched her in the chest, knocking her on her back. She stood up quickly and swung at one that jumped at her. The attacker dodged, and she was struck in the back again, knocking her forward. This continued for a little while, the Heanta party toying with her while she became more and more desperate. Eventually though, they toyed for a bit too long, and an attack came that she ducked under. She then brought the blade up and gashed the attacker across the throat, spraying blood everywhere. The attacker and Fayla both fell to the ground, the Heanta flailing for a second but then going still. An angry grunt from behind her told her that playtime was over. Fayla stood to face her fate.

The large Heanta raised his great hammer to strike Fayla, and her eyes widened in fear. But then another Heanta made a movement, drawing Fayla’s attention for a split-second. Realising her mistake, she turned back just in time to see the big Heanta receive a flying knee to the face from a female Heanta, the one Fayla had fought earlier. They both tumbled to the floor, and the shock of that move quickly evaporated as a Heanta jumped on the female and received a right hook for his troubles. Fayla recognised the opportunity immediately, and turned to the other two who were looking from the female Heanta to Fayla. Fayla surged forward straight toward one of them, and he braced himself to receive the attack. Meanwhile, the other one did exactly as she expected, moving to the side to prepare to come at her from behind. Instead of following through on the first one, she spun and springboarded off him, taking the other one by surprise and running him through. She rolled to a halt and turned to the first target.

Fayla suddenly realised the pain that was rushing up her arm and shoulder and sank to a knee. The Heanta used the opportunity to charge at her, slashing at her with his sword. Fayla got her weapon up just in time to block, but she was driven back against a tree, the Heanta trying to drive her through it. Fayla broke the deadlock with an unorthodox technique. She brought her knee up straight into the Heanta’s groin, and the Heanta released his grip and howled in pain. Fayla strode over and sank her blade through the poor man’s chest and his pain ended. She turned to see the female Heanta locked in mortal combat with the big one. The female was holding her own, but she was thrown to the ground suddenly and got kicked a couple of times. Then, the man raised his foot over the female, intending to crush her. Fayla couldn’t get herself there in time, but she could maybe get Grace there. She threw her trusty sword like a spear, and it flew true, impaling the huge man through his already damaged knee. He sank to one knee howling in pain. The female then slammed into him, knocking him on his back. She then jumped onto him and savaged his head and neck until he stopped moving.

Fayla had slumped back against the tree in exhaustion. She looked up to see the female walk towards her, with Grace in hand. She had declared herself as Vala of the Hornless Clan earlier on, and Fayla wondered if that meant she was a relation to Ren the Hornless, the legendary Heanta who had been her grandfather’s greatest foe. In any case, she knew what to call her unexpected ally. However, Fayla still did not know what Vala’s intentions were, so she watched her warily. “What do you want?”, Fayla asked, “Why did you kill your own people?” Vala simply stated that she had first claim to Fayla, and the big guy got in the way. Fayla did not take her eyes off Vala. “So what happens now? Am I your prisoner now? Or are you just going to kill me instead?” Fayla involuntarily curled up defensively, even though she knew she was at Vala’s mercy. Before she answered, Vala asked the girl her name. Fayla realised that her best chance of getting out of this was to not reveal her full identity as the granddaughter of the greatest Eldari warrior in history. She settled for only the basics. “My name is Fayla.” Fayla picked up her sword and cradled it tightly.

Vala pretended to think about it. “Well Fayla, I suppose I could take you as a slave, but you will probably be more trouble than you're worth. Besides I’m not really into the whole slavery thing. As for killing you.. Well I won't get much of a fight out of you in your current state. The only real option is to let you go.” Fayla was immediately filled with distrust and her eyes narrowed. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t just take you at your word. What’s your real agenda here?”

Vala sighed. It made sense that Fayla wouldn’t just trust her. “Would you rather I just killed you? Because I saw your face when they had you surrounded, and you didn’t look ready to die.” She said. Fayla studied her for a moment, then posed the final question she had. “But why fight each other over me? Am I not just another Eldari to you people? I just don’t understand why you would go through that much bloodshed for the right to fight a single person.” Fayla shifted uncomfortably in her tree-seat. Vala thought for a second before responding. “Because I wanted to help you. I followed him because he lay a hand on me. I don't think I actually intended to attack him, but i was angry. My mother would have taken that hand from him if he dared touch her. Then I saw them preparing to kill you…” Vala Paused. “That was me once. About to die at the hands of another. The only reason I survived was because an Eldross sacrificed himself to kill my assailant and heal me. Instead of leaving me to die he stopped to help. He had no reason to. We’re enemies, right? Why shouldn’t he have just escaped and left a child to die?”

Fayla considered her words for a while, measuring her response. “Because that’s not the way we do things.” Fayla managed to get herself to her feet and wiped her sword on some grass before sheathing it. She looked at Vala again. “Alright then. Despite that bad blood between our people throughout history, and despite what I’m supposed to think, I actually believe you now.” Vala smiled slightly at this response. Fayla was about to move, but a thought occurred to her that she had to investigate, no matter how remote the chance. “This Eldross, what did he look like? Did he have a name?” Vala shook her head slightly. “It was kind of dark, and I was half dead. So I didn’t get a good look at him.” She paused and looked at Fayla. “He had green eyes, almost like your own, and black hair. He never told me his name.”

Fayla nodded glumly. She realised that it could have literally been any Eldross, even though there were not many left. “I just wondered is all. My father was Eldross, and he disappeared about eleven years ago. He’s presumed dead, but they never found his body. I just thought maybe...” Fayla shook her head, bringing herself back to the present moment. “But probably not I suppose.” Vala nodded. “It happened 11 years ago.. But it was probably just a coincidence.” If he wasn’t enslaved though, Vala didn’t want to tell the girl why they wouldn’t have found the body. Vala went to leave. “Head west. The raiding party won’t be going that direction.” Vala said. And then she sprinted off into the night. Fayla bowed, and did the same, but far slower.



The next few years were a period of transition for Fayla. She had received a commendation for bravery after the loss of Mirallas, and she was definitely not the same person she was before that fateful day. Mariel was furious that her daughter had been put into such danger in a simple training camp. She ordered an immediate evaluation of the border defenses, attempting to stop this from happening again. Fayla, for her part, wondered what became of Vala, but she also devoted herself even more to becoming a better fighter. She excelled in all practical aspects of her military training, though she faltered when it came to hand-to-hand combat, instead focusing even more on her sword. This wasn’t to say that she didn’t like a good brawl, rather that she wanted to be the absolute best with a sword in her hands. When she was 28, which was the age that students of the Warrior and Magi Paths entered full service, Fayla’s path began to become less clear. It was also at this point that truly exemplary students were selected to begin training with a view to serving in the Eternal Watch. The Watch were the elite of the elite, and being selected for their training program was seen as a huge honor for an Eldari. It came as no surprise to anyone when Fayla was selected for this program upon reaching this age.

Murmurs of favoritism and using her family name to get ahead began to circulate, but they were quickly quelled by her skill during training. She had a perfect success rate on the few missions she was sent out on, though her methods were unorthodox and often criticized by the senior members of the Watch. Fayla liked being part of the Watch, but she grew tired of constantly having to defend the way she did things. She longed for the freedom she had enjoyed as a child roaming the forests near her home. Fayla completed her training at age 30, and she unsurprisingly received her summons to the Watch. She was the top ranked fighter in her class, and she was expected to do well in the Watch. She continued her education as a member of the Blades Guild, but in her spare time she also studied with the Eldross Guild, learning their methods of traversing terrain and scouting hostile territory. She was particularly fascinated by the concept of guerrilla warfare, where a small unit can compromise a much larger one using a combination of mobility, skirmishing tactics and knowledge of terrain. She was out in the field in Endaron on some down time, trying to perfect some of the techniques she learned when she would encounter a familiar face from the past.


Fayla heard a commotion somewhere nearby in the forest. She headed quietly towards the source of the noise, moving through the tree canopy. She stopped when she spotted an Eldari scouting party surrounding a lone Heanta. The Eldari looked like a simple patrol, but the Heanta interested Fayla. It had been a good few years since Mirallas, but Fayla knew from the lack of horns that it could only be Vala. The girl who had saved her during that attack. Fayla dropped down next to the scout party. The leader of the scout party was about to ask her to identify herself, but one look at her eyes told him who she was. He saluted Fayla.

“Miss Shor? I didn’t expect the Eternal Watch to be here. How can I be of service?” Fayla examined the party and then put a question to the scout leader. “Just a question. What is your party doing with this Heanta?” The scout looked confused. “We’re trying to apprehend her for interrogation. Once we find out what she is doing here, we will execute her.” Fayla knew what Vala was capable of, and even in her weakened state she could still do considerable damage to the party before being subdued. She turned to Vala. “Are you alone here?” Vala nodded in response, unsure what else to do. Fayla turned back to the scout.

“If this Heanta wasn’t alone, chances are you would have been jumped by now. I will take it from here. Resume your original patrol route.” The scout gave Fayla a puzzled look. “Um, are you sure ma’am?” Fayla glowered. “You don’t think I can handle a single tired Heanta? Get moving, that’s an order.” The scout leader bowed his head. “As you wish. Move out!” The party formed up and began to leave. Fayla waited until they were a good distance away before turning to Vala. “So, how did you end up in this neck of the woods again?”

“A Mercenary band killed my entire scout party and chased me into Endaron. I tried to go back but I picked up an Eldari scout party and got forced to go west. And now I’m here.” Fayla nodded solemnly. “I see. I’m sorry about your friends. Losing people like that is hard. If you still want to go home, I’ll help you get to the border. It’s the least I can do for saving me back in Mirallas. What do you say?”

Vala looked away momentarily, “It’s life. People die. I’m not going to lie down and cry about it…” She said. She shrugged. “Sure. Though I think I owe you one now. Saving me and escorting me home.” Fayla nodded. “Don’t worry about it. Are you able to go now? Or do you wanna rest up first? The border is at least a day’s travel from here.”
“I’ve been running for two. I need to rest. And eat. I was about to catch a rabbit when those bumbling idiots caught up to me and scared it away.” Fayla considered that for a moment.
“Alright then. There’s plenty of other wildlife around to hunt. We should lay low though, and try not attract any unnecessary attention.”

After catching some rabbits, they ate, rested and began their journey towards the border. While Vala kept a cold demeanor for much of the journey, Fayla asked countless questions, unable to stall her curiosity. Vala slowly warmed to Fayla’s chirpy demeanor, but before they knew it they had reached the border. Fayla spotted watchposts in the distance either side of them, indicating that they were about to hit the buffer zone between Endaron and the Kyrias Outskirts.

Stopping to survey their surroundings, Fayla and Vala became aware of a commotion happening in the woods a bit deeper into the buffer zone. Scanning quickly for the source, they came across some armored soldiers surrounding a person who was lying prone on the ground. Blood covered his face. There appeared to be four of the soldiers, and they were shouting at the prone man. It was clear they were trying to get information of some sort out of him. Fayla took cover behind a tree and looked at Vala inquiringly.
“Who are these guys? Do you think we should help?” Vala answered by pulling out her bow. “Mercenaries. The same that attacked me before.” She did not wait to explain, and broke from cover, firing an arrow into the back of the closest man.

Fayla decided to try out a new technique she had been working on alongside her sword training, the Wild Step. She channeled herself into the tree beside her, and in a flash was stepping out of a tree behind another of the men. He turned in time to see Fayla wave innocently at him before severing his head from his shoulders. They viciously and effectively beat the mercenaries down and began questioning the leader of the band. “Where are the rest of the people who killed my scout party?” Vala demanded.

“T-t-they returned to the camp! That way! About a mile, in the old fort!” Vala thanked him and snapped his neck. She looked at Fayla. “I’m going to take care of them. You should head home.” Fayla returned Vala’s glance as she cleaned the blood from her blade.
“If these are the people who killed your friends, then I will help you take care of them. If you want.” Fayla sheathed her blade and stretched a bit. “In fact, I don’t care what you want. I’ll help anyway. Let’s go then.” They ran off in the direction the mercenary told them to go.

Arriving soon after at the correct place, Fayla turned to Vala inquiringly.
“So how many were in this mercenary band that attacked you? We’ve killed 4 so far...”
“Thirty. I took out at least three when they attacked, and my friends didn’t go down easy. There can’t be more than fifteen left. I say we draw them out and pick off as many as we can with our bows first.” Fayla nodded.
“Alright. I’ll get some height then and keep an eye out for any archers they have.” She used her Wild Step to get up into a tall tree that concealed her from view, but had a good vantage point over the front gate. Vala took up position in front of the door, while Fayla picked off a sentry standing on the wall and watched as the garrison inside went on alert.

Vala called out to the mercenary band. “Dying Suns, You killed my friends!” She shouted. “Why don't you come out and tell me why?” The front gate opened and 3 men in mercenary armor walked out, weapons raised. Vala was down on one knee, looking like she was exhausted and wounded. The men approached Vala warily and surrounded her like jackals. The lead merc put his boot under Vala’s chin and raised her head up to look at him and he sneered.

“It’s simple. We did it because we were paid to do it. Now we can finish the contract and get our money. Do you have any last words, you little bitch?” That would be the merc’s last utterance, as an arrow struck him between the shoulder blades. Vala suddenly sprung up, uppercutting the other two mercs upside the face. She turned and looked the first merc in the eye as he fell to his knees.

“Do you?” The merc collapsed onto his face, and the other two did too with broken faces. “Apparently not.” Vala heard a grunt of pain as an archer fell off the wall with an arrow in their neck. Fayla dropped down from her tree and nocked another arrow.
“I thought that went alright. Let’s get this over with.” Vala nodded, and the two warriors advanced through the gate. The remaining mercs surrounded them immediately, but a female’s voice boomed over the noise.

“Hold. I want to see who is making such a mess of my company.” Vala and Fayla looked to the source of the voice as a tall and imposing woman marched across the camp towards them. The woman wielded a large blade, and her armor was covered in wear from many battles. She glared at them with nothing but pure contempt, though her expression turned to a sadistic grin when she looked at Vala. “Ah, young Valatrix. We’ve been looking for you. Someone’s put a lot of gold on your head.” The woman raised her blade into a combat stance. “I know you’ve nixed some of my minions, but that just means less ways to split the payment. Prepare yourselves, for no-one has bested Captain Thassa!”

“I’ve fought bigger.” Vala said as she began to circle Thassa. Fayla simply loosed her arrow at the Captain, but Thassa simply swept the arrow away with a flick of her blade. Vala used the distraction to rush at Thassa from behind and received a reverse elbow to the face, knocking her backwards. Fayla used the opportunity and charged forward at top speed, drawing Grace and attempting to run Thassa through.

The Captain simply glanced the blade away with her forearm, and struck Fayla between the shoulder blades with the pommel of her weapon. Fayla hit the ground hard and rolled past Vala as she charged in to deliver a powerful right hook. Thassa planted a boot squarely in Vala’s chest and sent her falling back onto Fayla. Fayla shoved Vala off her and charged again angrily. She attacked with a downward slash and then used Strike-Slash to leave an afterimage and come down on Thassa from above with another slash.

Thassa swung at the image in front of her, but Fayla came down too fast and struck her on the shoulder, but her heavy armor protected her from harm. As Thassa turned to slash at Fayla, Vala rushed her back, her body exuding purple energy and struck Thassa in the back with her Explosive Strike. The armor crushed and Thassa was knocked onto her face. Fayla tried to take her head from her shoulders while she was prone, but Thassa rolled away and slashed her blade upwards, catching Fayla mid-swing and knocking her backwards off her feet.

Fayla did a kip-up and faced Thassa, weapon ready for the next round. Vala stood on Thassa’s other side. They shared a look and nodded, then launched simultaneous attacks on Thassa as she got to her feet. The flurry of slashes, strikes and punches, while unable to get through Thassa’s armor none the less overwhelmed her defenses and she began to tire. Before either could strike a fatal blow Thassa ordered her men to attack, and escaped the fight while Vala and Fayla were forced to retreat and defend themselves from multiple angles.

Collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, Fayla and Vala looked at each other, sweat dripping from their foreheads and breathing heavily. Fayla was the first to break the fatigue-enforced silence.
“Well, that was a thing. Shame that nasty piece of work got away.” Fayla said. Vala nodded in reply. “Indeed, I was looking forward to ripping out her heart. So, what now?” Fayla sheathed her sword and stood up.

Despite their vastly different backgrounds and the fact that their races traditionally hated each other, Fayla and Vala felt a mutual respect for each other, not just for each other’s fighting skills, but also for their willingness to stand up for others. Fayla shrugged. “We make a good team.”
Vala smiled at this. “I know, right? But you know… Thassa’s going to come after me again, and I want to find out who sent her to kill me. I’d also rather not involve my own people.. I think it could be a heanta who sent her.. So I could use a partner... Someone who has my back.” Fayla thought about it for a second. She kind of liked the idea of roaming the land with someone else, and she knew they could get even better at beating up bad guys. The decision was simple.
“Sounds like fun. Alright then, I’ve got your back.”
“Then I have yours.” With that, their paths were set, and a bond was formed.


Fayla returned home after her adventure with Vala with a renewed sense of vigor and wanderlust. She wanted nothing more than to explore the land, knowing she had made a firm ally in Vala. However, her duty to the Eternal Watch meant that her time to explore was limited. Over the next couple of years, Fayla became restless with her regimented lifestyle, and her patience for protocol and rules was thinner now than it had been at any time in her young life. Eventually this spirit caused her to request her release from the Watch. Mariel was disappointed, but she also knew deep down that this was the likely outcome. She had watched her daughter’s growth from an awkward and clumsy child to a skilled and courageous Warrior, but she had also seen the fire inside her that drove Fayla to be free. Her father’s free spirit had combined with her grandfather’s determination and courage, and that combination resulted in Fayla’s drive to explore and also to help others.

Mariel pulled some strings, allowing Fayla to do missions for the Watch from time-to-time, but she would no longer be officially bound by them, meaning Fayla could come back from time to time. As for Fayla’s friendship with Vala, Mariel did not approve initially, and threatened to kill her when she first encountered the young Heanta, but she soon realized who Vala was and even began to respect her. Fayla and Vala would find themselves in the Free Lands most of the time, becoming regular patrons of the Eldritch Moon Inn, a traveler’s inn that is the center of business in the city of Zendar. Fayla and Vala use it as a de facto base in exchange for ending bar fights for the innkeeper. It is here that they can be found, plotting the next ass-whooping to dish out.
Side notes: (anything else?)
Rp example:I have not included an RP sample as I have included some samples in the backstory above, hence the stupid length

Approved A-5. this sets the standard for a high quality app and thensome.

As mentioned, RP sample is worked into the history.

Seconded.