Yavanna Elbereth

Eldari Warrior

Character information

Name: Yavanna Elbereth
Appearance Age: 35
True age: 757
Sex: Female
Personality: To put it simply, Yavanna Elbereth is as tough as they come, and those who underestimate her discover this first-hand. To the untrained eye, her appearance would suggest that she was one of the Eldari nobility, perhaps with parents that are prominent in the upper circles of Eldari society. Or maybe they think she is a beauty queen, who is far more suited to pageantry than the military. In her early days, she was seen as a bookworm, perhaps destined to become a scholar or maybe even a Magi if she applied herself well. What they wouldn’t expect, is that the pretty face adorns one of the toughest and most skilled warriors that the Eldari have ever produced, and she has no time for those who think otherwise.

Stemming from her early days, Yavanna has never had any time for politics or ceremony. She accepts that, as a servant of the Eternal Watch, some ceremony is necessary to keep the dignitaries happy. She especially has very little patience with the Golden Council, believing that two people in a room can get more done than a committee full of agendas. However, Yavanna endures all of that political nonsense in order to invest in her true passion, the sword. She has spent centuries studying and training, perfecting her understanding of every combat art she could find. In particular, she has mastered almost every sword-fighting style there is, culminating with the development of her own signature fighting style, which draws inspiration from many different sources. This drive and dedication to her craft have earned Yavanna the respect and admiration of most of her peers, something that wasn’t always offered to her.

In her early days, Yavanna dreamt of being a great Eldari Warrior, like her father before her. However, she was undersized for her age, and she lacked many of the physical gifts that Warriors possessed, such as strength and speed. When she declared her intention to pursue the Path of the Warrior, rather than the Magi, Yavanna found the path even more challenging than her peers. She was always scorned by her classmates for her lack of physical prowess, and it indeed took longer for her to meet the requirements to begin studying at the Academy. Once in the Academy, the teasing and bullying of her classmates continued, as they believed she was not worthy enough to be there at all. Throughout this, she found solace in her study, and her confidence that she could make something of herself never left her. She has always been quietly confident in her own abilities, though the attitude of her peers led to her developing a rather large chip on her shoulder, one that exists to this day. The desire to prove herself is something that would come to define Yavanna for her entire life.

Though her constant study and training were her chief sources of comfort in her younger years, the other thing that eased Yavanna’s journey somewhat was her friendship with one Rowan Aratris. Rowan was in the same class in the Academy as Yavanna, and although initially she suspected that he was a brute with all of the physical attributes necessary to ease through life. However, as they grew to know one another, she saw that Rowan was actually quite similar to Yavanna herself, trying to break an illusion that his physical gifts projected and trained almost as hard as she did. They would become best friends over the years, a friendship that has endured to this day, even though their paths have diverged in recent times. Rowan was one of the only ones that also treated Yavanna as an equal, something she wouldn’t forget.

Over the years, Yavanna slowly gained the respect of many within the military, but her drive to learn and get better would never truly diminish. However, in recent times she has transitioned over to teaching, in addition to her duties to the Watch. Yavanna found the task of shaping and perfecting the next generation of warriors to be an exciting and fulfilling challenge all of its own, and she is as devoted to her students as she was to her own studies when she was younger. She has garnered a reputation as an extraordinarily tough but fair teacher, with no time for slackers but plenty for those who want to learn and apply themselves. Indeed a lot of students who share the same drive as Yavanna did request extra lessons from her whenever she has the time. Yavanna demands that students study the knowledge that exists well, but also encourages them to open their minds and think outside the box, and not be afraid to develop their own styles and arts.

One of these students was the granddaughter of the greatest warrior of the Eldari, Faylandrea Shor. Yavanna noted immediately that Fayla was both easy-going and personable, but when it came down to training Yavanna recognized a kindred spirit, similar to Rowan. Fayla had a precocious talent, due in part to her bloodline, but she also combined it with an incredible work-ethic. Having served under Dalrodir Shor a few times over the years, Yavanna recognized the desire to be the best that took the great man to the heights he reached. But Fayla wanted to be treated like any other student, disliking any preferential treatment that she hadn’t earned herself, and she applied herself well, even to the point of developing her own fighting style to distinguish herself further from her esteemed grandfather. Yavanna was as firm on Fayla as she was on her other students, but she also had a lot of time for the young Warrior too, and they developed a close teacher-student bond, despite Fayla’s out-of-combat antics infuriating the far more reserved Yavanna.

All in all Yavanna is a no-nonsense, serious woman who combines a beautiful face with the ability to drop any fools that don’t see past it. She has developed a dry wit from her days hanging around with Rowan, and she is slow to trust until one has earned it. She has a chip on her shoulder which gives her a dislike for slackers and those who put down others rather than focusing on their own flaws. Yavanna has a deep-seated admiration for Humans, given that they lack the natural gifts that the other races on Ka’Lesa possess, and they instead generally rely on hard work and ingenuity to keep up. She shares her people’s general dislike for Heanta, though she experiences this from an impersonal viewpoint, seeing them as former opponents in the wars of the past, rather than the blood enemies that others saw. The Order of the Sun is a group of particular interest, with their status as peacekeepers and respected warriors despite their small numbers appealing to Yavanna.
Likes:

• Training and Hard Work: Yavanna is a consummate professional. She trains constantly, knowing that she will be needed at her best at any moment. She is fueled by the belief that she can always be better and also that hard work is a reward all on its own. Every barrier that she or one of her students breaks down is a triumph.
  
• Humans(at least, the good ones): Yavanna has a quiet admiration for the Human race, in particular the Knights of Mondolin. She believes that the Eldari’s gifts of magical talent have led to them becoming somewhat complacent, whereas the Humans constantly innovate new talents and new ways of thinking to keep up with the other races. This adaptability and ingenuity impresses Yavanna greatly.
  
• Rowan and Fayla: Yavanna prefers training to social interaction a lot of the time, but there are two main exceptions. Her friendship with Rowan Aratris has endured for centuries, and they are as close as kin. Yavanna has also developed a close teacher-student bond with the granddaughter of the great Dalrodir Shor, acknowledging Fayla’s desire to make her own mark on the world.
  

Dislikes:

• Slackers: Yavanna has no time for slackers and coasters, and she will treat them accordingly. People who get by on their natural gifts or circumstances without putting in the work really grind her gears. No-one is entitled to anything in this world. All must be earned.
  
• Politicking: Yavanna despises the agendas and political machinations that go into all of the major governments and organizations on Asmir. The Golden Council is no different in this regard. If someone has a problem, they should state the problem, and it can be solved. Simple.
  
• Mercenaries: Many of these so-called “mercenaries” are just tough-guys who fold when the going gets rough. Wusses.
  

Fears:

• Her Own Weakness: While Yavanna is supremely confident in her own abilities, she is pragmatic enough to know that one day she will meet an obstacle that she cannot overcome, no matter how hard she trains. She doesn’t know what she will do when this day comes, but she will continue to train nonetheless.
  
• Failure: Having had to work so hard for everything she has gotten in life, Yavanna has had to draw on incredible mental strength to get by. This is fueled in part by her deep-rooted fear of failure. This fear drives her to improve, but can also drain her if she is not careful.
  
• Heights: Despite Yavanna’s willingness to travel and take on fearsome foes, one thing she has not conquered is her fear of heights. She even went so far as to request the bottom bunk when sharing a barracks during her Academy days. Needless to say, flying mounts are also a no-no.
  

Appearance

Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 134 lbs
Appearance:
Yavanna appears as a female of average build, though she is impressively toned, reflecting her extensive hours invested in pushing her body to its limits. She retains the yellow eyes of her people, but her hair is a shining silver, reflecting her long years. She keeps her hair tied back almost always, though when not tied back it extends to around midway down her back. Though Yavanna possesses the fine features and beauty of one of the nobility, this belies her life as a soldier and teacher. She possesses scars all over her body, and she remembers the origin of each one as a lesson learned in battle.
Clothing: Yavanna has trained herself for centuries in numerous sword-fighting arts, so much so that she has adapted to fighting without the heavier armors that other warriors favor. She can usually be found wearing a suit of customized leather armor, offering a little protection while still allowing full flexibility and movement, something the agile and technically-gifted Yavanna needs. Outside of training or combat, Yavanna favours simple clothing: travel cloaks, tunics, leather pants and boots. One thing all of her clothing shares is Yavanna’s penchant for the royal blue color that adorns her.

Fighting Style

General Fighting Tactics: Yavanna has trained extraordinarily hard to develop her fighting style to mask her weaknesses and accentuate her strengths. Though she is not physically exceptional (lacking in strength and footspeed), she has honed her body to provide exceptional stamina, and she is tougher than she looks. She has also worked on her hand-speed in order to complement her impressive mental agility, and her agility and positional sense help to overcome her lack of outright speed. Her main battle tactic is to try and outlast her opponents, controlling the battlefield through clever movement and forging openings in her opponent’s defence through which to strike decisively using her flawless technique. She is equally adept at fighting defensively or on the attack, whichever the situation demands.

Yavanna prides herself in being a versatile fighter, and she has mastered many fighting styles over the years in order to develop her own distinctive style. She has two melee weapons to use, her longsword and her longknife. She is equally adept at using one or both of these, depending on the situation. Her main two styles are dual-wielding both or two-handing the longsword. When dual-wielding, Yavanna likes to utilize counter-attacks, deflecting with her longknife while using the longsword to thrust past the opponent’s guard when they are wrongfooted. When using the longsword alone, Yavanna uses both foot movement and her weapon to deflect blows, lacking the strength to block fully. Her hand speed combined with the balance and comparative lightness of her weapon allow her follow up with rapid strikes, until the foe tires out. She also appreciates that she cannot always rely on her melee prowess, so she has trained in the use of a bow to a good degree, though her skill with her sword far outshines it.

Combat Stats-

Strength || Poor(R-1 Fair)
Speed || Poor
Agility || Very Good(R-1 Excellent)
Durability || Good
Stamina || Very Good(R-1 Excellent)
Magical Power || Fair(R-1 Average)

Strengths:

• Master Sword Skill: Yavanna has put centuries of training into perfecting the art of sword fighting. Utilizing her own unique style derived from the various styles she has learned, Yavanna has very few peers when wielding her chosen weapon.
  
• Vast Experience: Yavanna’s long years of service in the Eternal Watch have supplied her with a veritable wealth of experience to draw on. This experience gives her an edge over most opponents, allowing her to analyze her opponents and identify openings and weaknesses quickly. She is also able to keep her cool in high pressure situations, when other less-experienced soldiers would crack.
  
• Combat Sense: Over the years, Yavanna has trained to use her surroundings as an extra weapon in her arsenal when engaging her enemy. Her quick mind allows her to rapidly scan her surroundings, taking stock of anything she can use to her advantage while also highlighting hazards. The result is exceptional balance and awareness, allowing the skilful Eldari even greater battlefield management.
  

Weaknesses:

• Lack of Range: Although Yavanna is able to use a bow, she has only completed basic training, and so while she can hit a target from a reasonable distance, she is nowhere near as effective as she is in melee. This is compounded by her lack of ranged powers also.
  
• Magical Power Limit: Yavanna has spent her life perfecting the art of physical combat, to the detriment of her magical power training. While she possesses a reasonable reserve of magical power, she is incapable of pushing past that limit as others can. Therefore, High-Intensity Power Usage is unavailable to her.
  
• Weakness to Cold: Yavanna’s training with her chosen element has made her susceptible to cold-based energy attacks. 25% more damage from such attacks.
  

Equipment

Primary Equipment
Name: Silver Swallow
Type: Longsword
Description:
As much a work of art as it is a weapon of war, Silver Swallow is Yavanna’s signature weapon. The sword appears as a long enchanted steel Eldari sword with a long but bare grip and a curved hilt with carved Eldari runes on the blade. It has a straight blade that tapers to a curved tip. The weapon is 4 feet long from end-to-end, and although it looks like it was designed to be used in two hands, the weapon is so beautifully weighted and balanced that it can be wielded just as easily in one hand as part of Yavanna’s dual-wield style.
Enchantments:

Name: Blade of Purity Type: Offensive Damage Category: 10x Very Weak Description: Silver Swallow channels the power of the gods into its blade, adding extra damage to Yavanna’s weapon strikes. Very Weak divine energy damage is added to the weapon for 2 posts or 10 hits, whichever comes first. The hits include parries or impacts with objects. Cooldown: 3 posts

Secondary Equipment
Name: Yavanna’s Armor
Type: Light Armor
Description:
Eschewing the heavier armors favored by other warriors, Yavanna instead prefers to fight in a set of custom-made leather armor. Commissioning the armor personally, Yavanna has opted for a more efficient design, offering the usual protection while avoiding impeding her movement in any way.

Extra Equipment
Name: River
Type: Longknife
Description:
Much like Silver Swallow, River’s elegant appearance is a mask for its lethality in the hands of its owner. Measuring 18 inches long from from base to tip, River is a curved long knife that is utilized either in a dual-wield style alongside Silver Swallow or on its own when space is limited or if Yavanna is dispossessed of her longsword. The blade bears an inscription of the weapon’s name in old Eldari runes.
Cost: 600
Enchantments:

Name: The Running River Type: Support Damage Category: None Description: River has been enchanted with a returning spell, allowing Yavanna to recall the weapon to her hand instantly.

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 nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts for a few minutes.
  

Warrior Abilities

Fire: Level 2

Custom Powers

Name: Afterimage
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Yavanna appears to split into three people, with the two other people being exact copies of her. The clones are completely illusory, though they act independently, and they last for a single post.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Name: Bladewall
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: None
Description: Yavanna creates 5 semi-sentient swords, identical in appearance to Silver Swallow, that patrol in a circle a foot out from her. The swords surround her and are incorporeal until they attempt to parry any normal weapon strike that targets her. Each sword can block a strike from a character with Average Strength or lower, otherwise the sword will break and the attack will continue unimpeded. Once the first sword is overpowered, the other swords will adapt to the Strength of the opponent as follows:

• If the blow received was at Good Strength, the remaining 4 blades will block in pairs, each pair remaining either side of Yavanna.
  
• If the blow was at Very Good Strength, 3 blades will combine into 1 and will face the opponent, while the fourth blade patrols.
  
• If the blow was at Excellent Strength, all 4 remaining blades will combine into 1 and will face the opponent.
  
• If the blow was stronger than Excellent, they remain the same, continuing to block to no avail.
  

If the weapon strike has any kind of magical enhancement on it up to Very Weak, it will block the strike, but the sword will break. Anything stronger will shatter the blade and continue on. The blades do not attack and do not block pure magical abilities, only weapon strikes. Pure magical abilities and powers will phase straight through the blades.
Duration: Up to 2 posts or until all of the blades are destroyed, whichever comes first
Cooldown: 4 posts


Name: Flame Wheel
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: Average
Description: Yavanna spins her sword in front of her, forming a disc of flames that blocks attacks from the front. The disc is roughly 7 ft in diameter, and can block up to an Average-strength attack. Anyone that comes into contact with the shield risks receiving burns to unprotected areas of their skin, and flammable objects may catch fire.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Name: Blades of Fury
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Weak (up to x3)
Description: Yavanna focuses her energy into her sword, and slashes the air towards a target. Each swing creates a crescent shaped wave of energy that travels 15ft, inflicting damage unless blocked or dodged. Yavanna can fire up to 3 waves, and the cooldown varies according to how many are used in the post.
Cooldown: 1 post per slash used


Name: Reposition
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Yavanna “teleports” short distances in an effort to bamboozle her opponent. She can teleport anywhere between 10 and 15 feet. While it looks like Yavanna is disappearing and reappearing, she is actually just moving extremely quickly, meaning she can’t step through objects or people. She can use up to 2 steps in a post.
Cooldown: 1 posts

Name: Gifted Glide
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Yavanna utilizes her magical power to temporarily augment her physical attributes. Her Agility is increased by +2 for 2 posts
Cooldown: 4 posts


Name: Sphere of Safety
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: Strong
Description: Yavanna generates a sphere of energy with a diameter of 6 ft. The sphere radiates an orange light and blocks up to Strong-level attacks. If a stronger attack hits the shield it shatters, absorbing Strong-level damage as it breaks.
Cooldown: 4 posts

Name: Blades of Wrath
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Average (Up to x3)
Description: Similar to Blades of Fury, Yavanna slashes towards her target, generating a crescent wave of fire that travels up to 15 ft. Yavanna can fire up to 3 in a post, with the cooldown increasing with each slash used.
Cooldown: 2 posts per slash used

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


Name: Whirlwind Strike
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Strong
Description: Yavanna spins her sword rapidly around her, sending a sharp wave of energy hurtling out in all directions out to 10ft. The wave expands out from Yavanna at the height she spins her sword at. It is 1 inch thick, razor sharp, completely horizontal and energy-based.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Name: Multi-Vector Assault Mode
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Yavanna creates a pair of swords, identical in appearance to Silver Swallow, that patrol around Yavanna and attack anything that she directs them to from odd angles. She can direct them with her mind, but they have a telepathic range of 5 ft. The blade's physical properties are identical to the blade they’re based on, and they swing no faster or harder than Yavanna could physically swing them. They last for 1 post.
Cooldown: 3 posts


Name: Blades of Defiance
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: Very Strong
Description: Yavanna stabs her blade into the ground, calling down 4 giant blades of fire to form a barrier of fire around her. The barrier is circular and has a diameter of 5ft. The fire will inflict severe burns on anyone or anything that comes into contact with it, and it will block up to a Very Strong attack, dissipating immediately afterwards.
Cooldown: 6 posts

Name: Blade of Wrathful Fury
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Very Strong
Description: Yavanna’s ultimate attack. She slashes towards a target up to 15 ft away, and a devastating crescent wave of fire speeds forth, inflicting Very Strong damage on impact, as well as severe burns. The wave is 10 ft long, and can be a slash in any direction.
Cooldown: 5 posts

Elite Boosts: Strength +1, Agility +2, Durability +1, Stamina +2, Magical Power +2

Background

History:

Yavanna Elbereth always moved to the beat of her own drum, and it was abundantly clear from an early age. Born in Sindaron in 244 of the Second Age, Yavanna was never supposed to be a warrior. From the look of her, she should be a Magi buried in a book, or a dancer moving through carefully choreographed sequences on a stage. But those who best knew her would tell you that the simple cliche of not judging a book by its cover definitely applied to Yavanna Elbereth. Yavanna’s parents were both Magi of some renown within Eldari society. Her mother, Yavriel, was a healer working for the Eternal Watch. Her father, Elladan, was an instructor of magical arts at the academy, teaching young minds how to control the power they possessed. Neither Elladan or Yavriel were military-types, happy with a quiet and simple life on Sindaron.

When the two had a child together, they wanted nothing more than the newborn to eventually follow in their footsteps and become a Magi. But young Yavanna could not have been more different from her parents. Elladan and Yavriel began teaching their daughter about the mystic arts as soon as they could, and she learned well. However, as she grew older and began to take in more of what was going on in her surroundings, she discovered a fondness for the art of sword-fighting. While her parents were working, Yavanna would sneak away to the Warrior training field, where she would be enthralled by the delicate movements of the signature Eldari sword style. Though she was relatively small for her age, Yavanna was soon filled with a burning desire to be a Warrior, and she was willing to do whatever it took. She saved up enough money to buy a wooden training sword, which she couldn’t be separated from. Yavanna would constantly use her spare time to take the sword into the back garden and try to imitate the movements of the Warriors from the training field.

Elladan and Yavriel were highly reluctant to allow this, however, and they tried to convince their daughter to reconsider. But Yavanna would not be denied, and she soon announced her intention to follow the Path of the Warrior when she was old enough to start at the academy. Despite their fears, fears that were all too fresh after the recent Human-Eldari conflict, Elladan and Yavriel decided that they did not wish to stifle the dreams of their daughter, and they began to support her decision. Yavanna began taking lessons from her uncle in the use of a sword, as well as some archery lessons. She applied herself well and learned quickly, though her parents were worried about her size being an issue. Yavanna was growing, but she was still very slight for her age, and she was insistent on becoming a swordsman, despite her uncle’s suggestions that she focus on archery. This determination would be needed in heaps once she came of age to join the academy.


When she was old enough, Yavanna applied to join the academy to become a Warrior. However, there were a number of trials that had to be overcome in order to gain acceptance. The trials were a basic demonstration of skill with the various weapons that were used by the Eldari military, namely swords, polearms and bows. The demonstration consisted of an archery test, followed by a simple spar with the two melee weapons, against an instructor from the academy. The archery test went well, with the training Yavanna received from her uncle benefiting her greatly. The melee trials, however, were a disaster. Yavanna wasn’t strong enough to block the instructor’s attacks, and while she displayed some natural skill, along with impressive reactions and a quick mind for combat, she was too physically slow to escape either. On top of that, she gassed out quickly as well, meaning her attempt was short-lived. After her dismal display, Yavanna failed her trial. But she returned home fueled by anger at herself. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.

Over the next five years, Yavanna trained furiously and continued to apply to the academy each year. Her performances improved each time, but she kept falling short. She knew she had the mind for combat, the instructors had commented as such. But she needed to be better physically. Yavanna had never been a natural athlete, and though she was slim and lithe, she lacked the physical gifts that the academy looked for in their recruits. So she worked hard, trying to draw every resource she could out of her small body. In the meantime, a Warrior named Dalrodir Shor was making waves in the Eternal Watch. Yavanna had read about his story, an Eldari that lacked the talent to fully utilize his considerable magical power, so instead turned to training in swordsmanship to overcome this. In doing so, Dalrodir Shor was fast becoming one of the best the Eldari had to offer. Yavanna used this as inspiration to get through, still believing that anybody could do anything if they put in the work to do it. On the sixth attempt, Yavanna finally passed the trial, and was accepted into the academy.

Yavanna’s first feeling was immense relief, but she then focused on watching the other trialists, to see what the standard was. They were a mixed bag, with everything from hulking powerhouses to lightning quick speedsters. Yavanna had noticed that two boys had been watching her trial from close by, and the bigger one of the two had been eyeing her with curiosity. The smaller boy had been confidently talking to the bigger one, but he seemed to be ignoring him. Yavanna took her place near them, and proceeded to watch as the smaller man began his trial first. The guy apparently was far more confident than his abilities would justify, barely scraping by to pass his trial. He returned to where the big guy was standing and slapped him on the back, which earned him an unnoticed glare from his friend. Yavanna raised an eyebrow, and continued to watch as the bigger man started his trial.

The big man was electric. He was not technically proficient with the polearm, but his rare combination of size, speed and power allowed him to compensate. He was an impressive archer too, but it was with the sword that he really shined. Yavanna was impressed, but also a little jealous. Of course he’s impressive, look at the size of him. This must be child's play to him. Yavanna found herself feeling a bit resentful towards him, wondering if there were any brains under all that muscle. When the big man returned to them, the smaller guy immediately began fawning over him, with some of the female recruits pointing and giggling nervously at him. She caught his eye and nodded, but said nothing. The big guy’s friend, however, had plenty to say.

“Now that was impressive. I had a feeling you’d be good, you big bastard. I’m Tari. And you?” He said. The big guy looked at him coldly. “Rowan.” Tari nodded. “Well Rowan, we made it. And it didn’t take six tries.” He said loudly, looking at the girl behind him. Yavanna said nothing, ignoring the guy’s obvious attempt to look tough in front of his friend. “I’m surprised you made it. Must have done something special for the instructors to impress them.” Tari said to Yavanna. and elbowed the big guy with a stupid grin on his face. Yavanna tensed, but remained silent. “Hey, I’m talking to you.” Tari said. “Such a loser, right Rowan?” Rowan turned and half snarled at him. “Why don’t you leave her alone?” Yavanna suddenly felt a feeling of resentment towards Rowan rise up inside her. Who does this guy think he is? Well, I’m not some damsel waiting to be saved. She glared at him and stepped up to the much larger person. “Excuse me? I don’t need some meathead sticking up for me, thank you very much.” She then spun on her heels and looked Tari dead in the eyes with pure annoyance. “As for you. Shut the fuck up.” She huffed and walked off, trying her best to hide the tears leaking silently from the corners of her eyes.


The journey was no easier in the academy. Yavanna failed to make any friends at first, given that she was a full five years older than the others in her class. She found herself the target of jokes from the other students, due to the fact that even though she had passed her trial, she was still inferior to the rest of her peers. Yavanna instead decided to devote every moment of spare time to training. She knew she couldn’t change her body type, but she could maximize what she had. She worked extensively on conditioning, remembering the shortcomings she had during her trial. Yavanna also worked very hard to perfect her technique, intending to overcome her deficiencies by improving her strengths. She also knew what she was up against, having watched the others of her class during their trials. She was improving, but the other students were also improving. She lost most of her spars, but they were close-run things. Yavanna was attentive and engaged in class during the day, and furiously determined at night when she spent extra time in the training ring. The instructors found her exhausting, but they also appreciated the effort and commitment to becoming better than what she was.

As for the two guys she had met after her trial, they had also improved in different ways. While Tari had not improved that much in terms of skill, he had managed to surround himself with a gang of three other noble-born recruits, and they walked around like they owned the place. The instructors largely permitted the gang to carry on, as they limited their activities to verbal abuse and bullying. Yavanna was a very popular target for Tari and his cronies, poking fun at her when she was beaten in sparring, shoving past her when walking by, and tripping her up when she was passing by them with food in the mess hall. Yavanna simply endured, taking solace in her training and the noticeable improvement in herself. As for Rowan, Yavanna rarely talked to him, but he also improved his skills in massive leaps, quickly becoming the standout recruit of the class. With that status came a lot of attention, be it from Tari trying to recruit him to the gang, or the other students just trying to bask in the glory. Yavanna simply hid in the shadows focusing on herself. However, fate would bring all three back together again soon.

One day, one of the instructors decided to have the group spar amongst themselves. He picked pairings at random, which resulted in Yavanna being paired with Rowan. She looked at the big man, who was by now even bigger than when they had first met, with clear trepidation. She quickly hid it behind a facade of defiance and stepped into the ring with her opponent. Taking up the traditional defensive stance, she glared at Rowan. “Don’t you dare go easy on me, meathead.” Rowan loosened his shoulders and took his stance. “If I do that I won't have a chance.” He said. Yavanna, believing that Rowan was being patronizing, grew incensed. She rushed forward, and the fight began.

Yavanna held her own well initially, avoiding taking hits by combining deflecting with smart movements. But Rowan’s speed and strength meant that even with her clever movements he began to overwhelm her defenses. Unfortunately, skill wasn’t enough, not yet, and Rowan won the match, stopping short of hitting her where most would not. Yavanna for her part, was growing angrier and angrier, as her defense crumbled. She looked at Rowan’s weapon and then to Rowan, and hissed at him. “Why did you stop!? I told you not to go easy on me!” She stepped forward and grabbed him by the shirt front. Rowan seemed taken aback by her sudden display of hostility towards him but coldly replied, “I always pull the final blow. I’d take somebody's head off if I didn’t.” He said. Yavanna said nothing, but was angry inside. The instructors never scolded Tari or his cronies when they hit her with a potentially fatal blow.

Yavanna calmed down when she heard Tari’s obnoxious guffaw from the edge of the ring. “Nice work squirt. Did you really think you had a chance against my pal, Rowan?” Her gaze fell to the floor and she released Rowan’s shirt before she slunk back to the edge of the ring, staring at her feet, red as a beet and looking distinctly embarrassed. “Why don’t you fight her, Tari?” Rowan said suddenly as he watched her retreat. Tari grinned. “I’m as likely to beat her as you are, so what’s the point?” Rowan gave him a simmering look. “Tell you what, if you win I’ll join your gang.” Rowan said. Tari’s grin broadened. “Ha, I knew you wanted to join. Come on then, Squirt. Let's get this over with.” Tari hopped into the ring and Rowan backed out. He met Yavanna’s eyes, and nodded. Yavanna narrowed her eyes at Rowan, but also entered the ring. She locked eyes with Tari and prepared to fight.

Tari grinned and charged forward, brandishing his weapon dramatically. Yavanna allowed a small smile to creep onto her face, and she sidestepped Tari’s advance, spinning quickly and whapping him over the head with her own sword. Tari lost his balance and fell flat on his face. She turned to look at him as he jumped to his feet, face contorted with anger. “You think you’re funny squirt? Huh?” Yavanna simply shrugged and waited. Tari advanced on her again, this time attempting a combination of blows. She deftly deflected the strikes before having to roll out of the way as Tari suddenly brought his blade crashing down hard in a vertical blow. She noticed that her opponent had started breathing heavily, having winded himself from his own combination. She stepped forward and feinted high, before sweeping his legs out from underneath him with a sweep kick. The instructor’s voice interrupted the proceedings. “Alright, that’s enough for the day. Report back here tomorrow morning at 8 sharp.” He then left as the recruits replaced their training weapons on the racks.

Yavanna turned to follow suit, when she heard the sound of shuffling feet behind her. “I’ll teach you to mess with me-” Tari said as he made to strike her in the back. Rowan stepped between them, glaring down at Tari as he grabbed the blade and ripped it from Tari’s grasp. “I ever see you try something like that again, I'll break your arm, you honorless shit.” Rowan threw the weapon aside and shoved Tari onto his ass. Before Yavanna could have a go at him again for stepping in, Rowan walked away to put his weapon back. Yavanna eyed him for a moment, before stepping over Tari and replacing her weapon on the rack and leaving to go get something to eat.


Later that evening, Yavanna had finally cooled her jets enough to get something to eat. She had gone for a short walk to clear her head after what had happened in the training ring. She felt terrible. Rowan had tried to help her, and she had punished him for it. She had tried to rationalize it, trying to convince herself that he was wrong, that he was only helping because he thought she couldn’t look after herself, because he was the big-strong-beefy-hero. He probably had it so easy, being so big-strong-beefy. But she immediately caught herself by realizing that in actuality, he was one of the few who didn’t scorn her, and the only one who really tried to help. Yavanna sat in silence, reflecting on her walk, starting to think that maybe she should stop being so hard on Rowan. That maybe there was more to him than big-strong-beef. She finished her dinner quickly before going up to shower. Once refreshed, she grabbed a couple of books that she had borrowed from the library and headed down to the training ring to study.

None of the instructors were available tonight, so Yavanna instead decided to study her books and try and learn some of the techniques from them. She arrived at the training ring, and it was deserted as it always was at this time of night. She found a small crate and propped the first book on it, starting with one of the styles used by the First Age Eldari during the First Great War. She retrieved a training sword and began to practise. This style was less graceful than modern Eldari forms, with more emphasis on aggression over defense. She twirled and slashed and skidded around. One spin too much resulted in her losing her balance and landing in a heap on the ground, her weapon clattering a few feet away. She sat up and inspected her grazed elbow and knees and sighed, sending up a plume of dust. It was then she realized she wasn’t alone.

“What are you up to, squirt?” Yavanna jumped to her feet and looked around to see Tari step into the ring from behind the stands. She glared at him as he approached. “What do you want, dickhead?” Tari looked disdainfully at the pile of books. “Late night study? You’re even sadder than I thought. That will make this a little harder.” Before she could react, a pair of strong hands grabbed her from the side, pinning her arms behind her back. She struggled and grunted in pain, as Tari walked right up to her. The rest of his gang emerged from the shadows and approached as the ringleader smiled. “On the plus side, this would’ve been a lot more painful if your buddy Rowan had joined my gang.” Without warning, Tari punched her in the gut, forcing the wind out of her and doubling her over in pain. The man reached over and lifted up her head to look Yavanna in the eyes. “It’s a shame you’re so pretty. I never wanted to damage something so beautiful.”

Yavanna spat in Tari’s face, and followed it up by throwing her head back as hard as she could, catching her captor straight in the nose and breaking his hold. She spun and kicked him in the jewels, dropping him to the floor. Still dizzy from the headbutt, she cried out in pain as she turned right into a punch in the face from Tari. She sprawled to the floor in a heap, blood trickling from a cut above her eyebrow. She looked up to see the four of them standing over her, anger on all of their faces. Defiant to the end, she attempted to rise and throw a couple of punches at any of them she could reach. Her arms were suddenly seized from either side which put an end to her resistance. Tari began to wind up another punch, when suddenly Rowan appeared from nowhere and grabbed Tari’s drawn back hand. “I warned you.” Rowan snarled, and wrapped his hand around Tari’s throat.

Lifting him off the ground, Rowan glared up at him. Yavanna looked up with blurry vision as Tari began to pale, and tears leaked down his face as he feared the worst. Then Rowan dropped him. The noble wheezed for breath as he stumbled and started to say, “You’ll pay for-” Rowan punched him in the jaw, and Tari’s entire body did a full spin before he hit the ground. Something slammed into Rowan’s back, and he turned slowly to glare at the perpetrator, who dropped his broken stick and backed away. His glare moved to the two holding Yavanna, who released her and quickly backed away. Yavanna dropped to the ground and began crawling towards her weapon as Rowan barked at the goons. “Get lost, and take this trash with you.” They obeyed. Rowan slowly, reluctantly looked at Yavanna as if expecting a rollicking.

Yavanna breathed deeply and heavily as she clutched her training sword. She looked up at Rowan, still a little foggy from the attack. She wiped blood from her face and tried to muster up a defiant expression, but failed and her shoulders slumped. Rowan opened his mouth, took a moment to think, then said, “You fight like a wildcat. I respect that.” Yavanna finally regained some of the wind that had been knocked out of her. She looked at Rowan trying and failing to hold back tears. “I guess I do need help.” She wiped away tears and set about trying to pack up her books, but they all just fell out on the floor again. She looked at her shaking hands and more tears came. Rowan remained silent for a moment, then said, “You had them. I was just being a hero.” Yavanna couldn’t help but smile. That’s what she was thinking earlier. For a moment, the facade fell, and she finally began to understand Rowan, truly. She approached him, not aggressively, but earnestly this time. “This... this was a weak moment. I should’ve seen it coming.” She looked at the floor before continuing.

“No-one was supposed to see this.” Yavanna gestured to the books. “He must’ve tailed me from the barracks.” Rowan remained quiet as she tried to explain. At least she wasn’t screaming at him. He shook his head. “You think training after hours is weak? How do you think I spend my time?” She looked up with a wry smile. “I dunno... lifting elk?” Rowan snorted. “Funny, but no. I do this.” He said. “Train, not beat people up in secluded rooms.” Yavanna looked at Rowan for a moment. He seemed sincere. It appears that she definitely misjudged him. She suddenly realized that she had been doing the same thing that she had been accusing him of, judging him by his appearance. Yavanna felt ashamed at her previous attitude towards him. “I had no idea. I’m sorry. I...” Her gaze returned to her shoes. “I just thought you were just a big-strong-beefy-hero. You’re so good at everything! And you make it look so easy and-” She suddenly looked at Rowan in confusion. “Wait, what were you doing out here anyway? And why did you risk yourself to help me?”

Rowan waved away her apology and waited until she was done blitzing him before he replied. He chuckled at her calling him big-strong-beefy-hero. “I had a very good teacher. My mother actually.” He said. “And as for that, well I was on the way to the library, and I saw them following you from the Barracks. So I followed them. I wasn’t going to step in, because you made it very clear you don’t need to be saved, but.. It went too far.” He paused, then continued. “They don’t respect you, because they think you’re weak. But you’re not. You don’t give up, even when you're faced with the biggest fighter in the class. You’re the butt of jokes, but you’ve never stopped trying to fight. They fawn over me, trying to latch onto the glory they think I'll bring them, but you continue to try to escape my shadow. I like that. I don’t want to be put on a pedestal, and you’re the only one in our class who doesn’t do that. That’s why I risked myself, even if it makes you hate me more for stepping in. Because I’d rather have you around to hate me, than have to put up with being fawned over alone.” He said.

Yavanna considered Rowan’s words for long moments. She resented him for being perfect, but it turned out they were both dealing with their own struggles. She looked into Rowan’s eyes and spoke completely honestly. “I believe I understand you better now. I was too busy trying not to be helpless that it skewed my vision. I’ve been an underdog ever since I decided that I wanted to follow the Path of the Warrior. I don’t have the strength or speed that others do, so I have to train harder than most, just to keep up. I can’t make myself grow more, but I can make myself better in other ways. I will be a Warrior someday.” She lowered her gaze. “I let that mentality blind me. I completely mistreated you, and I’m sorry. I just...” She looked up again. “I didn’t want to be pitied.” She reached out a hand to Rowan and smiled. “I guess there’s only one question left to ask. Do you wanna be my gang?” Rowan snorted a laugh. “Don’t you mean in your gang?” He said. Yavanna grinned stupidly. “Nope. I know what I said.” Rowan grabbed her hand. “Fair enough. Then yes, I will be your gang.”


There were no real repercussions after what happened that day, besides the physical injuries. Tari never had the guts to report what Rowan did to him, and Yavanna had too much guts to report what Tari and his gang had done to her. She just passed the wound off as a spar that went wrong, and returned to her study. Tari did vow to make her pay one day, even with Rowan there to protect her. Rowan stated simply that he wasn’t there to protect her, only to even the odds. For the first time since she embarked on this journey, Yavanna did not feel alone. She and Rowan became really close friends, now that they both understood each other. They ate together in the mess hall, and they also began training together in their spare time. The only downside to the friendship, if any, was that Yavanna began to garner attention from the rest of the class as a result of being friends with Rowan. She brushed it off mostly, wondering how Rowan dealt with this kind of attention daily. Her looks were also now in the spotlight, though she didn’t have to worry too much about male advances with Rowan by her side.

They learned a lot from each other in the training ring too, and Yavanna actually felt herself improving much faster now that she had someone of her own age group to train with. Rowan helped her with her physical conditioning, improving her stamina and toughness even more, while she helped him with the technical stuff, learning about his mother’s fighting style and supplementing it with the vast knowledge she had acquired from her extra hours of study. Rowan was clever and studious, which made it very easy to help him with the areas he was struggling in, which admittedly was not many. Their fighting abilities complemented each other as well, with Rowan’s strength and speed combining well with Yavanna’s stamina and technical skill. They won many tournaments in the academy, and though people initially thought it was due to Rowan carrying them both, Yavanna demonstrated in her solo bouts that she had formidable skill all of her own. and they quickly became revered as the star pupils of their class.

Three years later, it came time for the class to receive their very own blades. A lot of students would use blades handed down through their families, though most would have their own weapons commissioned, usually selecting some version of either the Saiphir or the Lhang blades. Rowan, for his part, used a blade called Rising Sun, a great sword that once belonged to the father of Genevieve, his adopted mother. Yavanna’s family came from a non-military background, meaning that inheriting a blade was not an option for her. Instead she commissioned a blade for herself. Through her exemplary disciplinary record and her popularity with the instructors, she was able to be closely involved with the construction of her weapon, which she named Silver Swallow. The blade was essentially a modified Saiphir blade, with a two-handed grip and specially weighted and balanced to fit with her small frame. The grip was bare, a detail that Yavanna requested, which allowed her a more primal connection to her weapon. She trained hard alongside Rowan for seven more years until they graduated to full service in the Eldari military.

Yavanna felt a sense of accomplishment, as her parents thought she wouldn’t even make it this far. Better yet, she had even made a good friend out of it too. When Rowan received an offer to join the Eternal Watch, Yavanna was unsurprised, and she was happy for him. He had been far and away the most likely of the class to receive such an offer, and though she had been hoping a little bit that she would also receive an offer, she did understand that it was unlikely that she had done enough to earn one yet. However, Rowan surprisingly turned down his offer, preferring instead to serve in the army like his adopted mother was currently. Yavanna understood, and she was also secretly grateful, as it meant they would not have to part ways just yet. As she would discover, Rowan was not the only face from her past to hang around her life.

Tari had also graduated from the academy, and he was assigned to the same unit as Rowan and Yavanna. What’s more, even though his old gang didn’t follow, he managed to collect a new following of like-minded morons. Tari began to stir up trouble for Yavanna again, spreading nasty rumors about how she made it through academy training on her back. While no one in their squad believed a word of it, Tari’s own squad were happy to spout the rumors and it to other squads. Yavanna and Rowan’s squad put no stock into the rumors as soon as they saw her fighting, but it still got around and caused a bit of trouble. Rowan was furious, but his fury was nothing compared to how calmly Yavanna dealt with the situation. She was used to people like Tari by now, and she simply let her abilities do the talking for her. She knew the opportunity to shut him up was going to come. They just needed to be patient.

Sure enough, their opportunity came knocking. One night, Yavanna’s squad had just returned from a patrol and were settling in for the evening. Yavanna found a clearing in the woods to sneak in a bit of extra training before dinner(typical). She began her calisthenics, loosening up and venting the pent up energy from their uneventful patrol. Things were going well, until she heard footsteps in the foliage and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “Well, squirt. Looks like nothing ever changes.” Yavanna stopped and turned around to see Tari and his latest gang of cronies emerge from the shadows. Yavanna shook her head in disdain. “Seriously? After all this time, you still haven’t learned to mind your own business?” Tari’s eyes lit up with anger. “This is my business. You and that giant asshole humiliated me. I still owe you for that.”

Tari drew his weapon and stepped forward with his gang. “Well, really it was Rowan who humiliated me. You were pretty much helpless until he came along. So it's him I owe, but He's pretty attached to you, so I think this is the perfect way to make him pay. And this time he's not around to intervene.” The others drew their weapons, and Yavanna sighed. “You do realise we’re not using training swords anymore, right?” She looked Tari dead in the eyes. “You’ve made two mistakes. First, I wasn’t good enough to defend myself back then, granted. But I don't need Rowan to protect me. I’m much better now. Better than you know. Second.” She leveled her weapon at Tari and smiled. “I have a weapon this time." Tari charged with his crooks in tow.

Yavanna was not bluffing, and even with the advantage in numbers, Tari once again found himself on the wrong side of the fight. Yavanna was completely untouched, while Tari and his gang reeled from bruises and cuts she had inflicted. Sheathing her sword, Yavanna looked down at him as he sat on his backside on the ground. “You still think I got through the academy on my back?” She turned her back on the gang-leader, and began to walk off. Tari was not done, however, and he drew a knife from his belt and lunged at her back. Before he realised what had happened, Rowan was standing between him and Yavanna, gripping his arm tightly. “Just because she doesn’t need me to protect her doesn’t mean I don’t have her back.” Rowan started to squeeze Tari’s arm tighter and tighter. “Remember what I said I’d do if I ever saw you do something like this again?” Before Tari could answer, Rowan locked his arm and snapped it.

The crack echoed in the forest, and as Tari began to scream. One of his goons charged Rowan, but Yavanna clapped him across the back of the head with the flat of her blade and he fell on his face in the mud. “I think you’ve learned your lesson, but by all means, keep coming.” Rowan said, throwing Tari aside and drawing his greatsword. Nobody moved, and Rowan and Yavanna returned to camp. Tari received medical attention for his arm, but no healer could fix his pride. His goons deserted him, and he was forced to get by on his own.


The months that followed were quiet. There were a few encounters with Heanta along the border but they didn't cross over. Rowan was becoming more tense as the time passed, and Yavanna could tell. She was eager to test her skills in real combat, but Rowan’s unease seemed to come from a more emotional base. As it turned out, the Heanta were just watching their backs, as tensions were brewing between them and the Orken on their Eastern border. One afternoon while Rowan and Yavanna were out scouting, they spotted a Heanta patrol. With his enhanced hearing Rowan was able to overhear them talking. Apparently an Orken warlord by the name of Grish’nak the Destroyer had slipped into Kyrias and attacked a village only to run afoul of Ren the Hornless. He slaughtered most of them but several groups had escaped, and Ren and the Heanta had driven them away from the safety of their own borders. They had been driving the Orken towards the Eldari border where they would either fight or flee into equally hostile lands. Rowan told Yavanna everything that he overheard and they returned to camp to report.

With the potential of an Orken incursion on the horizon the unit deployed all but one squad to watch their area of the border, spreading out to meet the threat. If anything crossed, they were to take them down and ask questions if anyone survived. With the thrill of a potential fight after all this time patrolling both Rowan and Yavanna were excited. And then they heard the shouting and the clashing of blades. Then the Orken were upon them, at least twenty. They were still concerned with whatever was chasing them and didn't see the squad of Eldari and in the chaos several were cut down before they realised what had happened. The Orken targeted Yavanna out of the assumption that she was easy pickings, and as she danced around their blows and extracted their blood, Rowan struck them from behind. In a single motion the pair cut through five of the Orken, and were about to move on when there was a scream and Enayi, one of their squadmates took an axe to the gut.

Rowan charged the Orken and slammed into him, launching the bastard away. When the axeman regained his feet, he charged Rowan, who ducked, and Yavanna was waiting to drive a sword through his chest. They drew close over Enayi, and killed anything that got close. It was only a few more seconds before the last Orken went down. When all the fighting was done, Rowan moved to Enayi to heal her. He was interrupted when Yavanna tapped him on the shoulder, and that was when he realised that somebody else stood among the bodies. A tall silver-haired Heanta with purple eyes and no horns. Rowan's heart stopped as he watched the Heanta's greatest warrior look them over, expression unreadable. He was on their side of the border, but nobody dared bring it up. When Ren didn't move they began to wonder if he would attack, and before anyone else could interject, Rowan and Yavanna stepped forward. Together, they might hold him off for long enough to let the others escape. Ren watched them move to block him, determination on their faces. After a few seconds, the Heanta sheathed his weapons and gave them a nod. Then he turned and walked away.

Over the next decade or so, Yavanna’s time was spent paying her dues. She did her time, trained hard, and reported to any post she was ordered to. Fortunately, her postings were simply various places along the border, given that the situation on the Heanta side was still volatile. They didn’t see much more action, with the fighting limited to the odd quick skirmish here and there. However, they also didn’t see Ren the Hornless appear near the border either, which was a mighty relief. Still, Yavanna couldn’t help but be fascinated by him, having heard numerous stories about him while she was in the academy. In 328 of the Second Age, There were reports of serious trouble in Harodiel. A mighty Dragon from centuries past named Xartas had escaped, wreaking havoc in Eldross lands as well as nearby parts of Endaron. A call for help went out, with all but the Heanta responding. A strike-team was formed, and though they all perished, they managed to defeat the Dragon. Dalrodir Shor was dispatched with a small team to confirm this, and the Eldross began to rebuild.

Things settled down again over the next two decades, but then began reports of another Dragon attacking Heanta lands. The Dragon inadvertently woke a massive Magma Mauler, and the ensuing fight devastated the surrounding area. The reports were sketchy at best, but what was known was that the Dragon defeated the Mauler, at great cost to its own health, and it was soon driven off by Ren, though the official Heanta line was that Ren killed the beast. A period of rebuilding then happened across the whole continent, as the Eldross and the Heanta repaired after the recent events. Over the next seventy years, however, the Humans in the Kingdom of Mondolin were planning an event of their own. They began a massive military build-up enough so that it drew the attention of the Eldari. They considered the idea foolish, and when the Humans were driven back by the Orken forces, they were not compelled to help in any way. However, a leadership change in Mondolin and an impassioned message to the Council from the new King occurred, and following reports of Heanta involvement, the decision was made to help, in order to preserve the balance of power on the continent. War was here, and Yavanna was ready.


The Eldari armed forces advanced, led by Dalrodir Shor, converged on the city of Mith Silvanus and while the Magi set to work shielding the city, the Warriors joined the fray on the front lines. They relieved the exhausted and wounded Humans who had the benefit of Eldari healers to help them return to full strength. Meanwhile, the Heanta and Orken continued to batter them with skirmishes, with several full-on battles taking place. Rowan and Yavanna found themselves in the heart of some of the fiercest fights, but the Eldari held their ground, and not a single enemy made it past them to the city beyond. Then, in the fiercest battle yet, Dalrodir ordered a faked retreat. The Orken forces took full advantage of the chaos they expected to unfold, and when they were fully committed, the refreshed Human forces surged from their city and turned the tide.

The Heanta moved to aid Orken forces, but they were reduced in numbers from all the fighting done before. With both opponents weakened, the Human and Eldari forces drove them into the retreat and back towards their borders. After Dalrodir’s tide turning battle, Yavanna and Rowan’s unit were given leave. They had seen a lot of fighting and with the Heanta broken, and the Orken about to fold, they returned home. But they never made it to Sindaron, because the Heanta had pulled a proverbial fast one, and an army marched over the border between Endaron and Kyrias and attacked Aviron, a large, prosperous town in Endaron. The Heanta forces razed the town before help could arrive. The notable thing about the town was, it was the hometown of the renowned healer and veteran of the Human Eldari war Liliana Korvesa. Liliana had earned a great deal of respect as a clever commander who worked alongside Shor to drive back the Heanta and Orken, and was considered one of the Eldari’s most powerful Magi of the first and second age. When Liliana called for aid to drive out the Heanta, Rowan and Yavanna’s unit were placed under her command, along with every other unit given leave, and as many extra forces as could be spared. Then, she gave chase.

Rowan and Yavanna followed their orders, and they marched towards the inevitable clash between the two massive forces. As fate would have it, the battle took place at Blackspire Pass, a large ravine that lay in the mountains bordering the Burning Wastes. The battle was a bloodbath, with great losses on both sides. Yavanna and Rowan fought harder than they had ever fought, and the battle slowly began to turn towards the Eldari. It was during this time that Tari decided to make himself known again. Yavanna and Rowan’s squad became isolated during the fighting, and they found themselves surrounded. They began to try to cut their way out, but their squad was properly pinned. Yavanna saw a movement out of the corner of her eye, and yelled at Rowan. “Rowan!” Her eyes widened in shock, she wouldn’t get there in time. Time slowed, when suddenly Tari emerged from the mass of Heanta and ran his blade through the one who had almost stabbed Rowan. Rowan turned to see Tari looking at him, and he looked down to see the Heanta’s blade sticking out of Tari’s gut. Tari looked at Rowan and smiled sadly. “What? You didn’t see that coming?” Then, Tari collapsed to the ground.

Tari’s final absolution had cleared a way for Yavanna and Rowan’s unit to reunite with their main forces, and the Heanta line began to crumble. The Eldari pushed the Heanta on to the frozen lake that dominated the Pass, and Liliana Korvesa gave the order for the Magi to bombard the lake with magic, until the ice gave in and forced the remaining Heanta forces to retreat into the Burning Wastes. Liliana was about to issue the order to pursue the retreating Heanta but General Rasa arrived and countermanded that order. An argument ensued, with Liliana refusing to budge and being backed by several officers. However, the final word came when Dalrodir Shor himself arrived and ordered the Eldari to retreat to their own lands. The war had been won, but the cost would be felt for centuries to come. Yavanna and Rowan, for their part, returned home as seasoned veterans.

Less than half a year passed before the Eternal Watch sent word to Rowan and Yavanna, offering them a place among the Watch’s ranks. By this time Rowan had plenty of worldly experience and joined the Watch alongside Yavanna. For Yavanna, it was the culmination of a lifelong dream, for she had finally earned a place with the elite forces of the Eldari, against all odds. While it was standard to place new recruits through several extra years of training, as Veterans of the Golden Tide, and Blackspire Pass, it wasn’t required. It also helped that Rowan and Yavanna were already highly skilled, more so than the average soldier. With the Watch came a new level of freedom for the pair, as they were no longer restricted by army protocol and routines. Instead they were given missions and deadlines, and the resources to get things done. While they had enjoyed their time in the regular army, this provided a whole new challenge and experience.

Along with the lifestyle changes that came with Rowan and Yavanna’s entry into the Eternal Watch, the changes in Yavanna’s professional life were substantial as well. She gained a lot more knowledge of the world on her travels, and she could feel herself getting more powerful as a Warrior too. Even with a majority of her time spent on the road, Yavanna never neglected her training and education. In fact she used the opportunities to learn about how fighters from other races fought, and augmented her style with the things she had learned. The other thing that changed, was that a good chunk of her assignments separated her from Rowan. The Watch were far more flexible in their squad management, tailoring a squad for each assignment that came up according to the skills required for the task. Stealth missions generally involved them both, as they were both proficient at the art of remaining undetected. Her own missions were usually low-key diplomatic escorts, for officials who desired safety on their travels but who didn’t want to appear conspicuous. Yavanna fit that bill perfectly, being highly skilled but with an unassuming appearance.

Most of these assignments were run-of-the-mill and uneventful. However, Yavanna’s toughness and bravery would also be tested during this time, on an assignment that would prove to be anything but routine. She was part of a caravan that was heading to Mith Silvanus. The caravan was carrying an important diplomat named Kazon Relora, and the journey was one that had been put off for years, so there was a lot riding on it. Though the Kingdom of Mondolin had closed itself off since the end of the Human-Orken conflict, delegates still traveled occasionally between the two nations, mainly as a diplomatic courtesy. The Humans had declined aid in the aftermath of the conflict, there were some who believed that they should remain open to their allies, to learn from them and nurture a peaceful relationship. King Casavir did not directly oppose the idea, and he allowed the diplomatic visits in order to discuss the future. Relora was a Human who had been instrumental in the negotiations, facilitating the treaty which resulted in the establishment of the Human-led settlement of Minarion. Minarion lay just inside the Eldari side of the border, and would fall under the protection of the Eternal Watch.

Negotiations went relatively smoothly, with both sides equally amicable towards the idea. However, like most ideas there were those who were opposed.to the whole process. A small group of Eldari existed that believed that the Humans did not deserve such privileges, especially after bringing a large-scale conflict on themselves and on to the Eldari’s doorstep. They originally expressed their displeasure through peaceful protest, though that changed when the Minarion treaty was signed. They decided that they would need to send a stronger message. Kazon Relora was on his way back to Mith Silvanus to report to King Casavir, when the group of dissenters decided that the loudest message they could send was to assassinate the Kingdom’s lead diplomat in Eldari lands, near the site of their brand new settlement. Relora departed Gateway Harbour and traveled to the site where Minarion would be built. He had his own entourage of three Knights, but he was also given an Eternal Watch escort, consisting of Yavanna and two others from the Watch, Janna Melian and Tanar Alcarin. The escort was enforced by the Watch as they had received intel about a possible danger to the diplomat’s journey. Janna and Tanar both rode behind the carriage, while Yavanna rode atop with the driver.

The journey was surprisingly uneventful until they reached Carrock, a particularly dense part of forest that covered the next stretch of road. It was almost nighttime by this stage, so Yavanna recommended that they stop for the night before they ventured in. However, Relora insisted they continue on, as he wanted to get back to Mondolin as quickly as possible. Acquiescing to his wishes, Yavanna ordered Janna and Tanar to scout ahead, and the Knights closed formation around the carriage. Once the scouts were long out of earshot, there was eerie silence for a moment, punctuated only by the sounds of the carriage rolling along the road. Then there was chaos. Yavanna caught a glimpse of movement in the brush, but she did not react in time. A large ball of fire suddenly emerged from the foliage and smashed into the carriage, sending debris and Yavanna flying everywhere. She landed with a thud against a tree, her vision blurred slightly from the impact. She quickly shook the cobwebs out and took inventory of the situation. She realized very quickly that her right arm was broken, and possibly some ribs. Blood trickled down the back of her neck from where her head had hit the tree. She looked around to see the Knights gathered around the burning wreckage of the carriage. One of them was sitting on the floor looking dazed, while the others were retrieving something from the wreckage.

Yavanna ran over as fast as her battered body would allow, and asked for a report. The Knights had managed to rescue Relora from the wreckage, and he was shook up but relatively unharmed. The downed Knight was nursing a head injury, and was drifting in and out of consciousness. Yavanna nodded, but her attention was drawn back to the treeline where the fireball had come from. She saw figures emerging, illuminated by the flickering of the flames from the carriage. There were at least a dozen, and Yavanna knew the odds were poor for them. The Knights made to ready themselves, but Yavanna gestured for them to stand down. She instead ordered them to stay close to Relora and she would deal with it. She needed to buy time for Janna and Tanar to return. She moved forward to confront the enemy, making it look like she was trying to hide her injuries but failing. The ringleader stepped out and drew a long, thin blade. He demanded Yavanna step aside, as they didn’t want to spill Eldari blood. Yavanna stood firm, demanding instead that someone face her in a duel. Yavanna was banking on the man’s hubris, and she got lucky. The man assessed Yavanna’s apparent physical condition, and decided to take the proffered bait.

Yavanna readied herself, taking note of the positions of everyone and everything around her. She could not use her main hand, but she was quite proficient with her left hand, though she did not possess quite the same power. The ringleader gestured to his right, and a large Eldari with an appropriately large sword stepped forward. Yavanna ducked and weaved, trying to avoid getting split by the big sword. She was able to evade the big man for a while, until she was hit in the shoulder by an arrow from one of the surrounding Eldari. Her opponent then grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet. Yavanna had not wanted to spill the blood of her kin, but her options had decreased to a singular course. She used her Afterimage technique, creating illusions of herself either side of her. The momentary distraction caused the big man to let go of her, and Yavanna dropped to the ground and immediately stabbed the man through the gut. The man barely seemed to register the attack, swinging to take Yavanna’s head off. She ducked, sliding low and slicing the man across the back of the knees, causing him to fall to his knees. Yavanna, suddenly bombarded with visions of the fighting during the Golden Tide, resorted to instinct over reason, and decapitated her foe. Or she would have done had she been using her dominant hand. The blade instead got stuck halfway, but the damage was done. The man gurgled blood for a second before collapsing to the ground.

Yavanna was stunned for a moment, before the pain of her injuries reminded her of the current situation. She pulled her blade from the man’s body and looked up to see the ringleader looking ashen-faced. He could not believe Yavanna had spilled Eldari blood to protect a Human. She could barely believe it herself. The ringleader ordered his men to kill her, and she began deflecting arrows and spells as she stood her ground. The ringleader began to panic as he frantically urged his men on. Her defense eventually failed when an arrow pierced her right thigh. She fell to a knee but continued fighting, until a cry was heard by all. The three Knights charged out from the carriage, one of them with his head bandaged. They began to fight, using their cohesion to form a defensive perimeter around Yavanna. Then, the sound of hooves echoed along the road, followed by a cry of panic. Janna and Tanar had returned. Arrows began to fly as the Watch members exchanged fire with the dissidents. The dissidents began to fall one-by-one as the scouts arrived back at the carriage and dismounted, joining the Knights’ defensive wall. The ringleader rallied his remaining men and stared defiantly at something behind Yavanna. She turned to see Relora standing behind her, staring right back at the ringleader.

Relora demanded the ringleader surrender, before there was any more needless bloodshed. The ringleader thought about it for a moment, before Yavanna spotted a ball of fire being formed in the ringleader’s hand. She reacted before anyone else, launching herself off her one good leg and diving at Relora as the ringleader suddenly lobbed the fireball over the Knights. Yavanna tackled Relora to the ground, taking the fireball square in the back. Janna reacted almost as fast, for no sooner had the fireball been thrown, an arrow pierced the ringleader’s chest. As he slumped to the floor, the rest of the dissidents fled into the night. Yavanna lost consciousness, due to both pain and blood loss. She awoke in a bed in a medical facility in Gateway Harbour, and she was surprised to see a familiar face arrive soon after she was fed and checked up on by healers. It was Dalrodir Shor. Yavanna immediately saw what made him greater than if he was just an excellent swordsman. The man had a presence that demanded respect straight away. An aura of inspiration that rallied all around him. She immediately felt better for him being there.

Shor explained what had happened while she had been out. “We received intel after you left that the ringleader of the dissidents was a powerful Magi named Magnir Kolaran. I set out to meet you at Carrock, but Kazon Relora had you advance into Carrock, despite your very wise protestations.” Yavanna looked at him in confusion. “How did you know that? Is Master Relora alright?” Shor nodded. “He told me once I arrived at the attack site. He is incredibly disappointed that he did not listen to you, and he is immensely humbled and grateful that you put your life on the line to save him. I can tell you, there’s a lot of Eldari who wouldn’t have done the same.” Yavanna sat up straight, remembering the final moments of the attack before she lost consciousness. “I simply followed my orders, sir.” Shor waved a hand and smiled. “At ease, soldier. Before you pull something.” Yavanna slumped back into her pillow as Shor continued.

“Melian and Alcarin filled me in on the rest, along with the Knights. It seems your bravery made quite an impression on the Humans. That, and your skill. You managed to hold off all of the dissidents until your squadmates returned. This is a good thing. King Casavir was not best pleased with news of the attack, but he singled you out for special praise. I escorted Relora the rest of the way to Mondolin myself, while Melian and Alcarin brought you here to be treated.” He smiled as he stood up. “Thanks to you, the Minarion project will go ahead as proposed. The dissidents have failed. Well done, Miss Elbereth.” He bowed and excused himself, leaving Yavanna to bask in her warm feelings of pride and accomplishment. She couldn’t wait to tell her parents, and Rowan. She also decided to redouble her efforts in training, so she wouldn’t get hit so much if something like that were to happen again. She would not see action again until the Second Great War.


Having distinguished herself by risking her life to protect Kazon Relora, Yavanna returned to normal duty once her injuries had healed, and after the rest period that Dalrodir Shor had recommended. She was refreshed and eager to resume her training. For a long time, things were relatively peaceful, resulting in Yavanna spending more time training than actively taking part in missions. She used the opportunity to travel to the new town of Minarion, which was expanding rapidly due to its economic prosperity, as well as the new installation of Sunshield Hold that had been established just south of Endaron. She decided to study some of the Human styles of combat, and expanded her repertoire. She also studied in Harodiel, learning from the Eldross about fighting in natural environments like forests. She was working hard to become a more complete fighter, and her skills reflected her efforts.

The world was changing more and more also. Yavanna had already witnessed the rise of the Order of the Sun, as well as the rapid growth of Minarion. The Eternal watch would also learn that large-scale changes were happening on the other side of the continent too. A new race was discovered that lived under the water. They were dubbed “Undari” by the Eternal Watch, and a diplomatic team, which included Rowan, was sent to try and establish relations with the new race. The team was unsuccessful, with the Undari not wishing to be friends with anybody it seemed. The team was then ambushed by a Heanta killteam, but Rowan and his squad managed to defend it. Yavanna studied the reports from the squad, doing her best to be ready if the Undari became openly hostile. They didn’t for about a year, but that would come to an end in a dramatic fashion.

In 447 of the Second Age, the Orken made the mistake of provoking the Undari when they attacked a village that the new race had just settled in. The retaliation was swift, and the Orken were soon driven back into their own lands and were forced to mobilize for war. They asked their former allies the Heanta for help, but when they arrived they betrayed the Orken, resulting in the complete genocide of their race at the hands of the new Heanta-Undari coalition. Dalrodir Shor had attempted to intervene, even defeating the great Undari warrior Analia Morin. However, his target had been Ren the Hornless, but he was too late to get there after his fight with Morin, so was forced to retreat. By 511 of the Second Age, the Orken were no more. The Eldari were stunned by this, though by not helping when the Orken appealed for help, they had assisted in the doom of the Orken race. The Heanta and Undari alliance soon disintegrated into a war against each other that lasted for almost two decades, but ended when they signed a pact in order to stop the war spilling into Mondolin and risk the Humans getting involved.

Soon after, Asmir Ka’Lesa was rocked when a Kishin Dola attacked, causing tremendous damage with its power, along with the dangerous virus it spread to the wildlife. The virus caused the native wildlife to go insane and attack anything in sight. Eventually, the Eldari and Heanta were forced to temporarily cooperate, sending their two best warriors in Ren the Hornless and Dalrodir Shor to take the beast down. They succeeded, but at the cost of Ren’s life. Shor was unusually tight-lipped about the whole affair, stating simply that it was a hellacious fight. For the next ninety years, a slow-build to a conflict was brewing. The Eldari and Eldross were secretly preparing for the inevitable, while the Heanta and Undari did the same. Small border quibbles occurred, but for the most part things were escalating. The Eldross contacted the Order of the Sun to try and avert a costly war, and the Highspire Treaty was signed, preventing any hostilities. There were those in the Eternal Watch who believed that the treaty was only a stop-gap solution, and that war was inevitable. The treaty lasted seven years before it was broken by the Heanta.


In 657 of the Second Age, the Second Great War began. The Eldari and Eldross mobilized their troops to the front lines, and the following conflict was bloody and costly. Yavanna was reunited with Rowan as they were often deployed together to the biggest flashpoints. The death toll was greater than any other conflict to date, with both sides fully committed to the bloodshed. Despite the Eldari still possessing Dalrodir Shor, the Heanta-Undari alliance did an excellent job preventing him from engaging at the front lines, and thus minimizing his effectiveness. With both sides locked in a war of attrition, the former buffer zone between Endaron and Kyrias became a mass grave for some of the land’s finest warriors. The fighting also began to spill into Human lands, despite the best efforts of the Eldari-Eldross alliance. Sooner or later, there would have to be a breaking point. It would arrive at Serenity Valley.

The culmination of fifty years of war, the Battle of Serenity Valley was a cataclysmic event whose ramifications are still felt to the present day. Rowan and Yavanna were on the front lines of the vanguard for the initial clash with the Heanta and Undari, and were at the heart of the fiercest of the fighting. They witnessed the clash between Dalrodir Shor, Celaena the Hornless and Roth Vandel, the negotiator who had been present at Highspire Pass for the signing of the treaty that preceded the war, a fight that dominated the battlefield. There was death on both sides, and with no end in sight it seemed that the battle would end with no-one left standing. Yavanna and Rowan saw many friends die, and slew even more enemies in return. Battle-lines had crumbled and conflict had degenerated to a bloody scrap. It was then that the war was flipped on its head.

An oddly familiar horn sounded from the south, followed by the sudden appearance of the Kingdom of Mondolin to the fray. The Humans brought all of the technological innovations they had devised since the last conflict, along a massive force of fresh and eager troops. The Mondolin forces crashed through Serenity Valley like a wave, routing the exhausted troops here, there and everywhere. The Knights of Mondolin charged straight through the center, and even Dalrodir Shor was forced to fall back. Yavanna had never seen anything like the might the Humans brought to the field that day. Humans were weak individually, but collectively they were more powerful than anybody had anticipated. Both sides retreated in the face of the new force, and they each retreated to their own territories. Using this opportunity, along with the help of the revitalized Kingdom of Mondolin, the Eldross and the Order of the Sun managed to bring both sides to the negotiating table, resulting in the Second Highspire Treaty.


One year after the Second Great War ended, the world was still coming to terms with the aftermath of the devastation they had wrought on themselves. Yavanna had followed Rowan’s lead and requested a leave of absence for a couple of months. She had burned herself out and the war had left her feeling more tired than she had ever felt. She kept up her book study, and did some mild fitness training so she didn’t atrophy, but otherwise she took it easy. She studied records of the Mondolin intervention in Serenity Valley, taking all she could about their fighting styles and tactics. The Humans were masters of drawing the maximum out of minimum resources, so she was enthusiastic about her studies. Yavanna’s leave was cut short when a situation arose in the Free Lands when an Eldari diplomat on a mission to the city of Oleas, disappeared along with his two personal guards. The Eternal Watch were severely undermanned after the war, so she accepted and returned to duty. She was glad to hear that Rowan was working with her, given the apparent need for stealth in the matter.

Yavanna and Rowan headed south, picking up the trail of the diplomatic party in the Free Lands, and followed it halfway to Oleas. That’s where they discovered the first signs of trouble, and with a bit of work managed to catch word of a group of mercenaries who were reported to have been kidnapping people in the area. They eventually tracked down a small encampment, and after making quick work of most of the merc’s, questioned their leader, and discovered they’re commander was contracted by the slave city of Karcenak to bring as them as many slaves, especially Eldari, as possible for an upcoming trade deal with the Heanta. Yavanna was puzzled when Rowan demanded to know about a female Heanta. The man denied knowing anything about a female heanta, and the more Rowan pushed the more uncooperative the man became until Rowan simply lost it and snapped the man’s neck. Yavanna immediately pulled her friend aside and asked what was going on, and Rowan reluctantly filled her in on his encounter with the female Heanta in question. She studied him for long moments, before pushing it to the back of her mind. She trusted Rowan with her life, so she accepted that he must have his reasons for keeping that encounter secret.

The pair moved on to the apparent site of the next ambush, Rowan more anxious to deal with the mercenaries and get their people back. He’d never forgotten the female heanta, but he didn’t expect to recognize her scent so easily. And it was her, he was sure of that much, though it made no sense as to why she was so far south, or why the mercenaries would take her captive, if their employers were working with the heanta. He would have answers soon, as the moment of the ambush approached. Rowan and Yavanna found the mark, a lone Eldari far from home. They didn’t dare alert the stranger of the danger, but waited for the mercenaries to spring their trap before the pair lept into action and started cutting them down. The Eldari ran, but anyone who tried to chase met with Rowan or Yavanna’s steel and went down. But something was wrong, and their ambush had been prepared for.

Somehow someone had escaped them, and there were three times as many mercs as they expected. They were quickly overwhelmed and forced to retreat, however as they made to do so a pair of mercenaries caught Yavanna by surprise, and one almost gored her with a spear. Rowan put himself in the path of the weapon, which drove deep into his thigh, and then the pair were dead as Yavanna took their heads off. Rowan ripped the spear out and they tried to flee, but didn’t make it far before Rowan began to slow. He would never outrun them with such a bad injury, and Yavanna could hardly carry him and make a quick escape. “You have to leave me.” Rowan said. “Are you kidding? That’s not going to-” Yavanna tried to argue, but he thrust his sword into her hands. “They won’t kill me, they want Eldari alive. Besides, if I keep trying to run I’ll bleed to death.” Yavanna sighed petulantly. She knew he was right. “Why do you have to be a big-heavy-beef?” She left him leaning against a tree and hefted his blade over her shoulder. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Rowan nodded and smiled. “I’ll be waiting.” With that, she fled into the forest.

Yavanna returned to Zendar, a small town just south of the forest where the slaver camp was. She needed to rest and contemplate her next move. She decided to sneak back the following night to gauge the camp and try to get some more intel, see if there was something they missed. She still didn’t know when the prisoner exchange was happening either, so she needed to move quickly. The next night, she set out into the forest, using her skills to isolate a thug who had split from his group to take a leak. She waited for him to finish before grabbing him by the mouth from behind and slashing his knee tendons with her sword. She dragged him away from the camp and managed to ascertain the time and date of the prisoner exchange, which was due to happen in two days. Yavanna slit the man’s throat and analyzed her data, realizing that she didn’t have enough time to send for reinforcements. She was on her own, and she preferred it that way. She stalked the guards and various patrols that emerged over the course of the night, as well as studying the camp itself, plotting and planning her mission.

The following night, Yavanna made her move. She stalked the first patrol of the night, dispatching them swiftly before they even knew what hit them. She knew the slavers were big and tough, but they could be panicked easily, and chaos would be her ally here. She approached the front of the encampment, and began to execute her plan. She had spotted a large cord of firewood stacked up against the wooden palisade that formed the front of the camp. Igniting the cord with one of her fire techniques, the camp devolved into panic almost immediately. Yavanna wondered how they ever fell into a trap laid by such... children. She and Rowan must be getting old. As the slavers frantically tried to douse the flames, Yavanna snuck around the back and peered out from behind a small tent. A large pavilion tent dominated the center of the camp, and was most likely where Rowan was being kept. She only prayed she wasn’t too late. There were still a number of mercs between her and the pavilion, so she decided to try another diversion.

Yavanna set another fire in the tent she had been hiding beside, and scuttled off to wait for some of the mercs to run over and try to deal with the second fire. She had to deal with a couple of grunts who were slow to the party, dealing deftly with each on. As she had already surmised, these kind of mercs were the predictable kind: they looked tough but folded like stringless marionettes when challenged. Upon reaching the side of the pavilion, Yavanna saw an ostentatiously dressed grunt who ordered a pair of flanking mooks to stay with the prisoners. The fancy grunt marched off to the front of the camp and began to scold the mooks there for not working hard enough. Yavanna would have loved to carve a second mouth around that one’s neck, but she had a more important objective to worry about. She waited for the fancy grunt to get out of earshot before peering into the pavilion. There were many cages, most of them occupied. She spotted Rowan’s cage with the triple chained lock and smiled. That was actually a wise precaution. She mentally tagged the guards, four of them in total. Piece of cake. Or so she thought.

While the fires raged outside, Rowan spotted a familiar face peering around the side of the pavilion doorway. Unfortunately, the Eldari diplomat had also spotted her, and immediately began shouting frantically. “Hey! Help us! We’re in here!” Yavanna immediately pulled back around the corner, cursing to herself. “Of course he’s a fucking idiot. Alright, we’re doing this the hard way. She waited for the first guard to arrive out, using the silhouette provided by the fire in the background as a guide. She grabbed the end of the man’s spear and severed his head with a slash. As he fell, she grabbed a knife from his belt and threw it straight into another guard's throat. The remaining two advanced at her with swords, and she deftly dealt with their predictable swings, relieving one of them of his head and impaling the other through the chest. Yavanna sheathed her sword and ran over to Rowan. “Sorry I took so long. Do you know which one has the key?” Rowan nodded. “The one dressed like an idiot.” He stood up in the cage. “I’ve got this.” Grabbing the chains with his hands, A wave of cold pulsed into them, and he easily broke them.

“So much for reinforcing the locks.” He opened the cage and held out his hand to catch the sword Yavanna tossed to him. A few quick slashes and he cleaved away the other locks on the cages while Yavanna kept a lookout, except the female heanta’s. “So you’re going to leave me here?” She asked. He hesitated, then cut the lock. “I hope you were telling the truth.” Rowan replied. He looked at Yavanna. “Plan?” Yavanna studied the front of the camp. “They’ve put out the first fire, so they’ll be coming to put out the second one. If we hurry, we can evade them and escape out the front using the smoke as cover.” Rowan nodded, but the heanta spoke up. “We should kill them. They’ll keep plaguing the land looking for Eldari if we don’t end them here.” She said, looking between Rowan and Yavanna. “If you're anything like him, the three of us can end this here.” Yavanna gestured to the diplomat. “Look lady, our job is to get him to safety, not go on a rampage. I’m not sure if we can risk fighting our way out.” She looked to Rowan. “It’s your call, but we have to keep him safe.” Before Rowan could speak, the Heanta responded. “I know its your job, but this is for the good of everyone in these lands. Put them down here and now, before they cause more pain.”

Rowan shook his head. “We need to stick to the mission.” He said. “And get the diplomat to safety.” He looked at Yavanna. “But there’s nothing stopping us from coming back. She might be right about dealing with this before it gets worse.” Yavanna nodded. “The trade was due to be tomorrow, though I doubt they’ll be in a hurry without anything to trade.” She peered out of the doorway again. “Alright. There’s a village not far from here. Zendar. He’ll be safe there.” Voices interrupted her thoughts as she spotted the fancy grunt and his minions coming back towards them. “Window’s closing. Let’s move.” Rowan nodded and grabbed the diplomat, throwing him over his shoulder. The man protested, but the last thing they needed was the moron to get scared and run off. The other Eldari gathered behind them, waiting for their rescuers to give the word. “Stick close, don’t panic, and keep quiet.” Rowan said, then nodded to Yavanna to lead the way.

The journey out miraculously went without a hitch, the party using the cover of the billowing smoke to escape the camp. Yavanna led the group to Zendar, securing them shelter in the Eldritch Moon Inn. Once they were secured, Yavanna turned to Rowan. “Well, when do you want to do this? They probably won’t hang about too long once they’ve put out the fire and salvaged their belongings.” Rowan dumped the diplomat in a chair. “We go back now.”
“Wait you’re supposed to protect me!” The diplomat said. “I-” Rowan held up a hand. “No, we were sent to save you. You're saved. Stay here, don’t, it doesn’t matter.” The diplomat blustered. “You’re commander will be hearing of this.” He said, but Rowan was ignoring him. He looked at the Heanta. “Are you still in?” He asked her. She nodded. “It was my idea. I could use a bow, if you have a spare one.” Yavanna hesitated for a moment. She looked at Rowan. “You trust her?” Rowan looked at Yavanna. “I do. I’ll explain later.” He said. Yavanna nodded and handed her bow and quiver to the Heanta. She took it with a grin. “An Eldari trusting a Heanta, this must be a first.”

Soon they found themselves stalking through the trees back towards the slaver encampment. It wasn’t hard to find between the loud voices and plumes of smoke. Yavanna looked to Rowan. “Alright, this is your mission. What’s the plan?” Rowan opened his mouth to speak but the heanta stood up. “We kill them all. Or as many as it takes to send a message.” She looked between Rowan and Yavanna. “Try to keep up.” She turned and stalked off into the camp. Rowan drew his sword, looking to Yavanna. “Lets go teach these bastards not to mess with the Eldari.” Rowan stalked after the Heanta. Yavanna smiled as she followed. “Try not to get stabbed again. Saving you last time was a professional courtesy.” Rowan snorted. “You said that the last time.” Yavanna chuckled. “What can I say? Pretending to need you really brings the Watch together.” He heard the voices ahead, and walked out as the Heanta turned left and circled around the group. Yavanna walked out alongside him, and the gathering of mercs looked up. One pointed. “Look boss, some of the idiots came back.” Yavanna narrowed her eyes. “I literally burned your camp to the ground and freed all of the prisoners, without getting caught. I think that makes you a lot bigger idiot than me.” She drew her sword and moved forward. The fancy leader grunt stepped forwards.

“So it was you who caused this mess. You cost me a lot of money, but I’ll forgive that. Two Eldari is better than none, so come along quietly. Don’t make us bruise the merchandise.” The man said. Yavanna shook her head disdainfully. “You know what, I’m done. You die now.” Rowan grunted in agreement, hefting his sword. Yavanna pointed at the fancy leader. “Fancypants is mine.” With that they charged forward and began cutting their way through the mercs, at the same time as arrows began to fly out of the darkness, finding exposed throats and hearts. Yavanna dodged a clumsy attempted sneak-attack by the leader and rammed her sword through his crappy fancy armor. Rowan charged and slid past the closest merc, spinning low to cut his legs, and the legs of the man beside him from under them. An arrow shot past his shoulder by inches and into the chest of the man behind him. This happened on several occasions, and he noted that any arrows shot around Yavanna didn’t come quite so close.

The fight raged for several more minutes, before the last of the Humans fell to a blade or arrow. The Heanta stalked from the darkness to join Rowan and Yavanna. She looked between Yavanna and Rowan. “Well, you two are a formidable couple.” Yavanna raised an eyebrow. “Couple of legends?” The heanta looked them over again. “Indeed. I’m glad I didn’t meet both of you back when the Undari showed up. I’d probably be dead.” She turned towards the camp. “I need to go find my axe, thanks for the bow.” She started to walk away, then turned to look at Rowan over her shoulder. “We should do this again sometime.” And then she was gone. Rowan turned to Yavanna. “Come on, we better get back to that moron. I don’t want to get a bad review.” Yavanna spotted something on the body of the slaver chief. An elegant scabbard with an equally ornate handle protruding from it. “Sounds like she’s taken to you a good bit, huh?”

Rowan, who was starring in the direction the heanta had gone, snapped his attention back to Yavanna. “Doubtful. Still. She was an odd one.” He replied as she reached down and liberated the weapon from its former owner. The weapon was a long knife, clearly of Eldari origin. The craftsmanship was impeccable. The word “River” was inscribed both on the blade and along the scabbard. “You don’t see that in the Free Lands everyday.” She stowed the long knife and nodded. “Alright, let’s get back to that fool.” They returned to Zendar to find the diplomat still staying at the inn. He wanted an escort home because the roads weren’t safe, it turned out. The pair of heroes sighed heavily, and escorted the diplomat home.


After the extensive combat she had experienced over the course of her reasonably long life, Yavanna was beginning to succumb to the tiredness she had felt before. It was a paradoxical mixture of war-weariness and a general lack of direction in the current peacetime. Rowan had requested to be stationed in the Free Lands, and even though she knew why and was happy for her old friend, it still made her acutely aware that life was beginning to pass her by. An opportunity arose, though, when she was asked to instruct at the academy. They were still short-staffed after the war, and Yavanna had proved herself to be one of the most skilled Warriors that the Eldari possessed. She accepted, moving back to Sindaron. It was a temporary post, simply assisting those who wanted extra training and being an extra teaching resource, but it was both enjoyable and fulfilling. There was something about teaching that made her feel alive again.

Despite her new busy schedule, Yavanna still found time to visit Rowan, who was enjoying life with his new partner, the Heanta they had rescued from the slave camp, Kaila. She was happy for him, and though Heanta and Eldari were mortal enemies, there had been enough bloodshed in the wars they had lived through. A small slice of peace between the races was a welcome change. Yavanna had tried relationships of her own, but nothing really stuck. She had always been a fiercely proud and independent woman, and this resulted in her usually driving her would-be suitors away. This and her duties to the academy meant that her attempts ended up being nothing more than flings and fleeting romances. Yavanna wasn’t really disappointed, as it gave her more time to train and to teach. Rowan and Yavanna, for a time, were both happy.

However, after a decade had passed, tragedy struck Rowan. A Heanta killsquad sent by Kaila’s father, and led by her older brother, attacked Rowan and Kaila in their home near Zendar. Though the squad was dispatched by Rowan, they managed to inflict a fatal wound on Kaila, resulting in her death in Rowan’s arms. Yavanna immediately rushed to Zendar upon hearing the news, lamenting not being able to be there when her old friend needed her the most. Rowan was understandably distraught, revealing to Yavanna that Kaila had become pregnant with his child. Rowan’s previous tolerance to the Heanta race had vanished, replaced with a powerful hatred, one that shocked even Yavanna. Fortunately, Rowan decided not to act on his intense desire for vengeance just yet, and Yavanna was grateful. There was no telling what damage Rowan could cause if he let revenge consume him. Yavanna herself might not be enough to stop him.


After Kaila’s death Rowan moved back to Endaron. He was a more somber and serious individual now, at least, even more so than before. Yavanna sympathized and did her best to help her old friend, but she quickly found herself inadequate as an emotional foil, and realized that the best way to help Rowan was to let him help himself. Yavanna was still occasionally teaching at the academy, but her time was now slowly being diverted back to active Watch duty. She was also a different fighter now, with the longknife River now added to her loadout, giving her more options in combat. She helped train many young and brilliant fighters, inspiring them with her own journey to this point. The challenge of instructing the young minds of tomorrow, while trying to encourage their creativity, was a fulfilling one. However, a completely different challenge would present itself, one that her skills could not hope to overcome.

In 902 of the Second Age, the terror known as Onyxus the Black Dragon attacked Illion City. Illion was a city that had sprung up near the first Divinium mine that the Human’s had established in the Free Lands near Harodiel. Yavanna was part of the contingent sent to the ruins of Illion to confront the Dragon tyrant amidst the carnage it had created. She witnessed the overwhelming power of the beast, and was powerless when their lines were broken and the Dragon flew straight for Harodiel. She could only watch as the homeland of the Eldross was burned to the ground, and with it most of their Eldross kin. It was a tragedy that struck a major blow to the hearts of Yavanna’s people, even more so when it emerged that Dalrodir Shor had sacrificed himself to kill Onyxus, with help from Celeana, daughter of Ren the Hornless. A massive memorial service was held for those who fell, and Yavanna wept with everyone else over the loss of so many kin, and their greatest Warrior in Dalrodir Shor. A brief smile did cross her face though, when she realized that the two mightiest heroes the world had seen were now both Necromor’s problem in Novaris.


Over the next century, the Eldari experienced a sustained period of peace, devoid of war or natural disasters. Yavanna once again put substantial time into her studies, as she tried to stay ahead of her students on the education front. Her time spent studying in the libraries of Sindaron led her to a chance meeting with Mariel Shor, daughter of Dalrodir. Mariel was not a Warrior like her father, but a well established Magi with a love of books and studies. On this, Yavanna and Mariel connected, becoming good friends very quickly. The extended peace also allowed the smooth integration of the surviving Eldross into the lands of their kin. While a few Eldross sought out their own journeys into the Free Lands, most of them settled down in the lush forests of Endaron, with the former members of the Collective joining the Eternal Watch in their own guild. This meant that Yavanna had more dealings with them when undertaking assignments for the Watch, as the Eldross were masterful scouts and intelligence gatherers.

Yavanna became friends with one in particular, Calrados Insari, who just happened to be one of the best Rangers the Eldross had to offer, and also Mariel’s husband. Yavanna introduced the couple to Rowan, and they all got on very well. The four were very good friends indeed. Yavanna, Rowan and Calrados formed a formidable team in the Watch as well, winning many of the tournaments and martial contests that the Watch held. Something changed in Calrados one day however, when he returned from a scouting mission to Human lands. He had been sent to Serenity Valley to investigate why the Kingdom of Mondolin had closed off the area. Any intel the Kingdom possessed related to the area was classified. Calrados returned and told his wife, Rowan and Yavanna a strange tale of undead and strange magical energy. Apparently he had informed the Watch about his findings, but they had immediately classified everything he told them and prohibited him from telling anybody else. Mariel offered to try and see if she could find out anything about it, but she got stonewalled. Yavanna was skeptical, but it was also known that Calrados had been pushing himself very hard recently, so it might have been just a symptom of fatigue. Calrados was not convinced, but he did not bring it up again.

In 961 of the Second Age, Mariel and Calrados welcomed a baby girl into the world. They named her Fayla, the name of Calrados’ mother, but kept the Shor name at the Eldross’ request. Fayla was a rambunctious and free-spirited child, clearly taking after her father in that regard. She very closely resembled her mother, but with her father’s green eyes. It was also around this time that Yavanna was offered a full-time teaching role at the academy, as the previous blademaster had retired. She accepted immediately, and told Rowan the good news. He was happy for her, as were Calrados and Mariel. She approached the job with gusto, though it was still punctuated with assignments from the Watch, taking time off when needed to go where needed. Mariel was a high-ranking member of the Watch now, and Calrados was now the head of the Eldross guild. As fate would have it, there would be one more sting in the tail though, reminding Yavanna that things can still change on the flip of a coin.


In 973 of the Second Age, Calrados had been sent out on a scouting mission just outside Endaron, when his unit had failed to report back. His entire unit was reported dead. Sending ripples through the political climate of the continent. There was enough evidence to conclude that the Heanta were responsible for the party’s disappearance. Roth Vandel, the Heanta leader, denied any involvement, but tensions began to simmer on the Eldari side, though an open conflict was still far from anyone’s minds. Yavanna and Rowan mourned their friend and comrade, and the whole incident did Rowan’s hatred towards Heanta no favors at all. Yavanna, for her part, focused on her studies and being there for Mariel and the young Fayla.

When Fayla was old enough, she announced her intention to join the academy and become a Warrior. Mariel was hoping her daughter would follow her by becoming a Magi, but everyone could see Dalrodir’s spirit in his granddaughter, so they devoted themselves to helping the third-generation Shor succeed. Though Yavanna would always have a soft spot for Fayla, she never gave her preferential treatment, driving her on to be the best she could be. Fayla, for her part, was eager to make her own way in the world. She trained hard, trying her best to move out of her grandfather's considerable shadow, and the two bonded over their training together. Yavanna even brought Rowan along to the training sessions a good bit, giving Fayla the chance to spar a different type of opponent. The girl was naturally incredibly talented, as Yavanna expected, but she had the work ethic that she and Rowan had inspired in her, so Yavanna knew that Fayla would be a legend like her grandfather.

Side notes: Hi Jun! Nice to see you here!
Rp example: scrawny-skinny-twiggy-hero

Approved. A-5.

secondus approooooovals.