User:Arien

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This page describes a character who is dead or retired from Hollow.

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Arien's Description: Race: High Elf. Class: Paladin of the Ascendi Lauria. Sub class: Elementalist. Age 196 (Appears 28 human years) Status: Married to Rhocielle Political Status: Owner and Co-Leader of the clan, The Fold, Governor of Rynvale, Rynvalian Amabassador to the High Elf Court. Deities worshiped: The Ascendi Lauria.

Physical characteristics: A tumble of loose, flame red hair falls to just below Arien’s shoulder blades, held off her face, more often than not, by a slim and deadly sliver of steel, disguised as a flower. It can take a life, or save her own in a tight spot. Expressive emerald green eyes look out on the world with some impatience, holding warmth and kindness for the good, and molten heat for those aligned with darkness. She has the noble bearing and relative height (5’8”) of her High Elf heritage. A century of training and battle have made her long, lean and agile, adding a feline grace to her every movement. She is attired in a blend of leather and armor that allows her vital freedom of movement and femininity on the one hand, and adequate protection from surprise attack on the other. Her most potent defense is locked within her own body, so there is little need for head to toe armor covering.

Personality : One hundred percent warrior and one hundred percent female, Arien is a walking paradox. A High Elf skilled in the art of healing and saving lives, she is also a paladin, a holy knight bound by divine code to confront the darkness wherever it rears its ugly head, unto death if necessary. This conflict between the life giver and the destroyer in her being, makes her deeply complex and vulnerable in a way that could be her undoing if she is not careful. She is passionate about her gods, the defense of the good and about those fortunate to call her friend or lover. The same passion makes her relentless in her desire to stem the tide of darkness in the world.

Arien's Biography:

Arien was born and grew up on the island of Rynvale; the first born child and daughter of Thallon, its elected King, and Amaruil his queen. When she was born her skin was so pale it was almost silver in the firelight, and stood in stark contrast to the flame red hair inherited from her mother, prompting her father to instantly dub her Ari-en in the Elven language, his silver flame.

Arien was her father’s daughter, romping in the barracks as a child, raised and educated without discrimination against her sex, alongside her younger brother, the prince. Even though he was the child destined to be a warrior, and she the one set apart to be the spiritual oracle for the island gods, she showed moderate skill in her handling of sword and dagger and could often be found chuckling in delight with her knee on the young prince’s chest holding him at bay.

Then came the day that would change her life forever. That day brought the uprising which usurped the throne of the High Elf King, and all in his court. Theron, head of the most powerful of the first seven noble houses of Rynvale coveted the throne that had been granted to Thallon by election, and conspired to take it by force.

Arien watched helplessly from the hiding place in which the palace priests had protected her and a few other children of the court, as her parents were dragged away to dire fates. Thallon was executed, and Amaruil sold into slavery to the barbarian traders at port on the island. No one seems to know what became of the young prince, and many survivors of Thallon’s court live with the hope that one day justice will be served, and the lost son will return to challenge the sitting royals for the right of election to the throne again.

As for Arien, for her own safety the young princess was relocated off of her native isle and hidden deep in the forests of southern Kelay where she was secretly placed with, and learned to love, her forest Elvin brethren. It was here too, that the young High Elf reconnected with nature in a way long abandoned by her fore parents, and began her personal worship of the Ascendi Lauria.

Arien burned for over a century with a deep fire for vengeance, becoming consumed with a thirst for retribution. It was during these dark and turbulent years that she would meet, and form an unbreakable bond with the silver dragon Trekia. Young, impassioned and naïve, the princess found and joined a band of ruthless mercenaries, who -for the right price- defended the good and made the bad, well, dead. It was Trekia who honed and focused the elfess’ lust for retribution into the ability to make the perfect kill, and he alone who can tempt her to abandon the spiritual discipline she later found and return to the freedom of the open road. The pair have a unique and complex kinship and would be antagonists of either, may rest assured of having the attention of the other; most likely to be attention neither welcome nor enjoyable for the aggressing party.

In time, Arien left her band of brothers, realizing the futility of avenging blood with blood. She returned to the forest enclaves of her childhood, where the wood elf priests who had become her surrogate parents showed her another way of living. Instead of hunting and destroying, she could channel her passion into preserving and protecting. She could become a knight, a holy warrior committed to the service of Lauria, the Ascendi whose power influenced the natural world. Lauria would grant her protection and assistance during a lifelong quest to preserve the balance of the world –its nature, and the innocent- from darkness; the kind of darkness that had destroyed her life. She could become a paladin.

It was Lauria who would gift the young paladin with her increased ability to call upon Nature’s elements in defense of the land and its innocents. Having a natural affinity for the manipulation of the elements as a High Elf, Arien did not realize that her abilities were indeed a gift, taking for granted, until quite recently that the powers were her own. This error in judgment was rectified when the Ascendi decided to teach Arien a lesson in humility. Only then did she realize the gift she had been granted, and endeavored to begin acknowledging the source of her power when she called upon it.

And so armed, Arien continues her walk alone on the path of the paladin warrior, motivated by the pain of a shattered life, a fierce love for her god and a passion for the mission she has been assigned in this world.

Skills /Strengths :

Elemental Magic: Arien is a master of elemental magic, a boon of The Ascendi Lauria, enhanced by her elven heritage. Her ability to manipulate the elements of earth, (including its plantlife, minerals and ore) as well as water, fire and air, make her a formidable foe in battle.

Melee Battle skills: Arien is also a capable sword and twin dagger duelist and is a skilled archer with deadly precision in her aim. All of these battle skills were learned from childhood at the feet of Elven bretheren who were masters in their own right. She is naturally light on her feet and agile, and is particularly fond of climbing, flipping and leaping her way into and out of trouble.

Melee custom weapons:

Enchanted-elemental-twin daggers- These daggers function as both slash and throwing weapons, and can be activated with fire and frost enchantments that produce burning or bone chilling cold if penetration of the flesh of the opponent is made.

Ethereal-elemental-mana flail- This mid range weapon is essentially an ethereal version of a standard flail. Instead of a mace head being attached to a shaft by a solid chain, it is a gilded shaft worn on Ari’s hip from which a ‘chain’ of pure mana erupts-potentially into an elemental head. This head has the ability to manifest as fire, water, air or earth elements in combat mode, giving Arien the ability to make direct contact with an opponent with a concentrated burst of elemental power.

Healing Hands: Her Healing Hands are a divine gift from the Ascendi granted to her upon her commitment to walk the path of the paladin.

Divine Protection: As a paladin, Arien also has access to divine intervention as a defensive and offensive measure. This weapon takes the form of basic holy magics, usually light and heat energy that can be used offensively from her hands, body and weapons in a manner similar to the bolts of fire or energy hurled by mages. In offensive mode, this divine energy also gives Arien the ability to be particularly swift and agile, but she cannot magically move through time and space. The light can also become a shield around her to be used in repelling magical attacks

Arien's Story:

Arien carries with her a dangerous secret. She has not told the priests, but deep in her heart abides the hope that if she works hard enough for the gods, they will restore her father to her. A perilous hope indeed, for it is a dangerous and forbidden thing to make the dead undead, and it is a temptation that could make her vulnerable to those of the darkness with the power to grant her what the power of light may not.

-Arien returned to Kelay sensing that a great evil was about to arise in Hollow and that her blade and blood may be needed in its defense. She was part of the epic day long battle against the prekleks, but felt there may be a greater darkness to come. The arrival of the dragon conqueror Zeran and his cohorts to Hollow seemed to fit the bill. A war that cost heavily in lives and loves ensued, but the Dragon and his cohorts were defeated, leaving Arien and her new family the stronger for the encounter.

-She is the owner and co-leader of the clan The Fold. A clan which seeks to preserve the delicate balance between light and darkness in the lands.

-She is a member of the Warrior's guild.

-Arien recently resigned from The Council of The Elementalists as the Master of Water. The conflict of interest provided by her efforts in the war against chaos, and her responsibilities to the University, grew too much for both roles to be sustained. She remains on good terms with Luthentius, headmaster of the University.

-Recent events in Hollow have introduced her to the service of the Ascendi Daedria. Facing almost certain death in a battle, Arien was rescued by the dreadnought Blaze, in the name of his Ascendi. Not one to live with a debt unpaid, Arien now pays homage to Daedria as one of her followers in the lands.

-Solaris declares war on The Ascendi Daedria and all her followers. Arien is targeted specifically for her ability to recruit followers for the godess out of her kin. Thus begins the friendship-if it could be called thus- between Arien and Kasyr, Daedria's sword, Requiem. The ties that bind are tenuous at best, but she finds him entertaining when he's not a threat.

-The Fold goes to war: The arrival of the Lich Queen Ryeanna, her agents of chaos, and chaos itself into the lands has provided Arien with significant challenges to date. How should she fight something that is only strengthened when you fight it? She’s still trying to work out the answer to that one, but knows that doing nothing is not an option. The clan is battling known agents of chaos, while seeking to find a scientific cure for the infection chaos causes.

-Arien recently fought and lost a duel with Tiphareth, literally losing her sword arm for some time as a result. Use of the severed limb was restored by the Graphter Daein, via delicate surgery and deep magics, but she had to withdraw from active military engagement in the war on chaos for quite some time.

-Arien's personal life becomes complicated by the realization that she loves Trekia, the friend and secret infactuation of her youth. The dragon is a dangerous sort to love. An impetuous warrior in love with battle and in lust with females-lots of them. Could she really be enough to ground him? After much emotional distress, she chose to look to her future, rather than her past, and forced him away-though she is not yet sure it was the right decision.

-War against the Duergar: Arien faces her most significant challenge to date, having found herself trapped into offering aid to an enemy: The Fold Launched a two pronged ground and surface offensive against the duergar outpost with the intention of freeing the elves. A spy revealed to the duergar leaders that the attack was pending, and a trap is laid for the rescue team which results in the clan having to negotiate a peace with the deep dwarves to save their lives. The elves are freed, and the lives of the Fold leadership spared, in exchange for the clan's recognition of the duergar's right to live in peace on the land they have claimed, and the willingness of the clan to help defend the outpost against direct assault.

-War against The Parasite of Lithrydel: For having the temerity to refuse to pledge the allegiance of the Fold to his growing Empire, Vuryal, The Paracite of Lithrydel and his clan, The Resurection, declare war on The Fold. Bounties are offered for the heads of Arien and her kin.

-Arien was abducted from the private beach near her home in Rynvale, by the wanted fugitive and pirate Leoxander. She was taken out to sea, where her kinsmen followed to complete the negotiations for her release. The time spent with her captor resulted in a complex bond with the lycan, the nature of which the elfess still struggles to understand. The pair are likely to collaborate on various ventures in the future-for the right price of course.

- Trekia returns to Hollow, refusing to take Arien's 'No' for an answer. Past insecurities and fears receeded, and she and the Silver Dragon she had always loved, stood side-by-side on life's journey. Arien was still coming to terms with fortune's gift , not quite believing the restless Silver resides fully in her net. As it would turn out...he wasn't.

- The Fold becomes officially allied with the city of Vailkrin and its governor Kasyr. The governor will allow the clan to build a garrison outpost and emergency HQ in the city, for use as a fallback to a secured location in event of the advance of the empire. This, in return for the service of The Fold in defending and helping to fortify the city. A mutually beneficial agreement.

- The Fold allies itself with the avian Acheron, who seeks to reclaim the City of Cenril once held by his brother, in an attempt to deny Vuryal further expansion of his empire. Arien is offered a seat in the triumvirate government that would be set up if the avian's plans are successful. This in return, for her commitment to help protect and develop the city.

-Trekia's unexplained and unexpected departure from the lands in her hour of greatest need plunges Arien into a morass of despair that threatens her ability to focus on the military task at hand. The loss of the one she believed her soul mate kills a part of her that she worries will never quite come alive again.

-The Fold’s resistance to the Archmosian Empire comes to a head in the long and brutal series of battles over Rynvale. Three kinsmen were lost to the violence, and the battle to liberate the isle eventually lost to Vuryal and his minions. Arien has agreed to end official hostilities with the Empire- though it is not entirely in her nature to give up when one door is closed. There are always windows!

-A chance encounter with an oddly familiar high elf in the Kelay Tavern has opened an unexpected window into Arien’s turbulent past. A peculiar sequence of events has led to the discovery that Eliah, The Carrion Crow, assassin and rogue, is none other than the lost prince of the Aisec Isle- the boy to whom the princess’ hand had been pledged as a child, as a matter of political convenience for their parents. Their life paths have taken them worlds apart, he to the shadows and she to the light, but their shared past is enough to spark the bond of kinship in the heart of the elf who has none.-that she knows of-

- Arien becomes personally impacted by the brutal code of The Gathering that Eliah leads, when one of his followers attempts to kill her because the Carrion Crow has made an emotional connection with her-she not being one of the band of rogues and assassins. The attempt is unsuccessful, but causes Arien to miscarry her two month old babe, the child of Trekia, severing her only remaining tie to the dragon. *sads*

-Arien is stunned to discover that Aiya, Raven of the Gathering, is in fact her half sister, the daughter of her mother Queen Amarueil and another high elf slave, conceived during her mother’s time in captivity to the barbarians. The Raven is as shrouded in the weaves of darkness, as Arien is of the light-but like Arien, is thrilled to discover that she is no longer alone in the world. The discovery of this second relationship within the gathering is likely to put Ari in greater danger, unless she finds a way to gain the acceptance of the group.

-As quickly as kinship is gained, it is lost. The Gathering, with its promise of love and family departs the lands, and Arien continues her walk alone.

-Arien has been commissioned by the Lich Queen Ryeanna to retrieve a weapon, The Spear of Harmony, from Armantium, the ancient Avian city that has suddenly re-appeared in Hollow. She is to use it to destroy the Chaos sorceress Faustina whose Cire initiated objective threatens our world with an almost apocalyptic end.

- An ember that smoldered flickers to life again. The forbidden is the sweetest fruit, but yielding to temptation can cost her the contentment of her current Peace.

- The Emperor Vuryal, evidencing increasing instability and signs of insanity, reopens unprovoked hostilities with The Fold. This action, along with his reach into the mainland in the siezing of Vailkrin and continued threats to the entire lands, provoke Arien to take direct offensive action against the Empire. The assualt of the Order upon Rynvale met with significant, but inconclusive result, and the clan remains in battle ready stance to re-engage the Empire as opportunity arises.

-Once more has loving come to mean loss and pain for the elf, though none are at fault for this being so. A wall is going up-hearts cannot be broken if they are never opened. Perhaps time will heal all wounds, but much of it will be needed.

- A chaotic entity, trapped within the body of a former kinsman Lucas, (Korbus) has made its objective the destruction of The Fold and the death of Arien. Once again the clan battles for its very survival.(Update) Anaximander has been banished.

-Arien has been appointed Lt. Governor of Rynvale, and is now representative of its 'legitimate' government in exile. She has also been named the current Ambassador of Rynvale to the exiled High Elvin court. Both offices will likely result in the need for her further engagement in attempts to see the island liberated from the clutches of the Archmosian Empire.

-Arien has entered into a reluctant and temporary alliance with the Ancient Dragon Helich, as part of her efforts to secure the liberation of Rynvale isle. While this may help serve the immidiate objectives of the clan, such a connection might well open doors to possible future troubles for the clan, or for Arien herself.

-The return of her Silver Dragon love to the lands, and his attempts at a reconciliation with the elf, complicates Arien’s personal life; especially as she tries to deal with her slowly developing feelings for her lycan guard. Love, in all its faces has only meant pain for the female, and she remains determined to retain her heart and soul in her own keeping.

-The loss of her soul mate Trekia in a battle to the death, only confirms to the elf that with loving comes the inevitable pain of loss. The barriers around her heart are reinforced, and it will take the most determined and patient of males to find the key.

-Arien continues her preparations for what will hopefully be her final assault on the Imperial forces holding Port Rynvale. An alliance of kinsmen, mercenaries and political or personal enemies of the missing Emperor has been assembled. The paladin will make her move sooner, rather than later to restore the isle's governance to her High Elvin kin.

- With each passing day, the tender and faithful stewardship of her warder Rho, chips away at Arien's determination to keep her heart in her own posession. Though she is yet to confess it, he has breeched the wall, presenting the elf with deeper dilema. Dare she risk dreaming of forever, when to do so will mean sacrificing one of her most cherished hopes? For what hope for a future family could be found in loving a wolf?

-After months of preparations, and an initial unsuccessful attempt, Arien leads an assault on the remnant of the Archmosian Empire in Rynvale. The island is liberated, the High Elf Royal family restored to the throne, Arien is named Governor of the island, and the former Empress of Archmosia detained and held in the custody of the Royal Court under Arien's supervision.Leigh is eventually released into the custody of the Arch mage Rheven, who offers the Empress asylum in Venturil.

- Arien's tenure of governance begins in the shadow of efforts made to undermine the smooth transition of power by external powers. The storm is weathered, however, and rebuilding of the city's infrastructure begun. Key alliances are formed with the cities of Larket, Frostmaw and Alythria, undergirding the strength of fledgling government.

-After months of struggling with the fact that growing feelings for her Warder might mean that she was once again in love, Arien admits as much to the wolf, and he to her. Thus would begin the wolf's petition to Arien's Ascendi Lauria, for some means by which their love could be brought out into the open, and be allowed to flourish to its natural conclusion. A future together, and children someday.

-Weeks spent prostrate before the Ascendi finally bear fruit, and Arien and Rhocielle are granted divine gift that allows them their future together, though at the steepest of prices. Rho is granted the ability to shift to Elven form, at the cost of the longevity of the couple.

-The resurgence of the Preklek menace in Hollow, means that The Fold and Rynvale both but begin extensive preparations for the possible advent of war.

-In dark times, a ray of light in Arien's personal life. Kidnapped by her long suffering mate for a holiday from her labors, Rho proposes, and Arien accepts. Engaged, the elf cannot help but wonder if -this time- she will actually make it to the altar. *Eyes Preks*

-Arien discovers, to her joy and concern, that she is pregnant with twins. To have her dream come true at a time when she is most needed as a soldier provokes emotional conflict in the elf.

-Arien and the Fold lead the coordination of the effort to defend Cenril against expected Preklek assault. After a bloody conflict in which mass casualties take place, the clan and its allies are able to hold the city.

- Arien is wed to the love of her life, the Warder of her body and heart. Rhocielle <33 Forever, wolf.

- Affected by the still as yet undiscovered taint of the temporal fragments left behind when the Hallowed Grove of Rynvale vanished, (a by product of the collapsing of the Archmosian rift) Arien's gestation period is shortened, her children born healthy and full grown at 5 months. The new mother seeks to balance the responsibility of mothering twins, while leading a city and clan.

- Burdened by the time consuming duties of governance, many of which keep her away from her husband who is not openly welcomed at court because of High Born racism against the tribal lycan, Arien makes the mistake of leaving her husband vulnerable to the frstrations of lonliness and abandonment. She pays the ultimate price when her husband's liason with another lycan female results in a pup outside of his family. Her domestic heaven shattered, Arien is currently struggling to save what is left of her relationship with her husband for their family's sake.