High King of Elalimeth, Warden of the Black Forest and Faelin, Flame of the North
King Balian Fornost
"Come death and destruction, fire and ice. Elalimeth remains strong."
{Age}
38
{Personality}
Balian is a good king. That's what most people would say and the general impression. But king is only a title; a title with many, many benefits and responsibility. Behind it is a man and he is what makes the King. He was raised to be just and fair, but also to punish those who had wronged, by the manner and severity in which they had wronged. He is a man that values his honor very highly and is very proud, a pride that is easily wounded. Being a King has many obligations and a lot of responsibility, but that is welcome to him. Balian loves his people and does what he can to gain their love back, by ruling as best he can in his Kingdom. He truly believes that there is great capacity for both good and evil in every human being, but that it is up to each person to decide which of the two they will live by. That is also why he is a harsh judge if he is to decide what to do with a certain criminal. He judges fairly, but there will be no changing his decision once it has been spoken.
To his family he is a loving and kind man, though he is busy. If a people can stand together and love each other and treat each other with respect and kindness, they can be mighty. That is one side of the coin, on the other he is a warrior, fierce and terrifying. If war can be avoided, that is the option he will take, but if it must come to it then Balian will not hesitate to call his banners and assemble Elalimeth's mighty armies and march with all his strength and fury upon his enemies. He is not one you wish to anger.
{Appearance}
Balian is tall and muscular, with the perfect build for a swordsman. He is not incredibly fast or super agile, a well built man. You'll most often see him in his black quilted doublet with a surcoat over it, displaying the arms of Elalimeth. His hair is either tied up behind his head or kept loose. His eyes are a certain shade of grey, almost like iron but darker.
{Skills}
Balian is a great swordsman stemming from countless hours of training. A formidable and terrifying opponent on the battlefield. Less so is he skilled at politics. See, Balian values his honor and his pride very highly and honorable men don't do well in politics. To watch him sit at a meeting with other regents and discuss such matters is like watching a bear in a trap.
{History}
Screaming. Like very other newborn, was the way he came into this world. His parents had been visiting the Kingdom of Faolla, and it had been a long journey. It was a month before they saw home again, having been occupied by feasts and hunts and tourneys and such things, in their honor and in the honor of their unborn child. Three days after they reached the capital of Elalimeth, where their seat was and still is, his mother gave birth to Balian. It was cold as it is in the north, but there were no complications. He was strong and quickly grew, making it obvious that he would become a strong child and man in years to come.
Balian grew and grew and grew and when the time came, he was taught how to fight with sword and other weapons; hammers, spears, axes and more, but it was only the sword that he really excelled with. It was partially selective. Balian grew up with stories of his father and his prowess in battle with his famous sword, and wanted to be just like him. All other weapons were uninteresting to him. In time he became a great swordsman and a terrifying opponent. The years went by.
For a long time his days were spent training with his weapons and when he reached a certain age, chasing girls. But there was only so much you could do when you were a member of the royal family. They taught him how to speak properly and how to behave around base-born and highborn alike. There would come a day when he would have to marry, though Balian did not look forward to that. He always did as his parents told him, but in this he could not obey. It was his life and his choice and that lead to great conflict between them.
Eventually, he would come to meet a woman who would sweep him off his feet. That woman would become his queen, and suddenly Balian was not against marriage at all. His parents approved of the match and the wedding was held a month after their official blessing.
That would soon produce heirs, and despite all the battles he had seen since he grew to be a man and all the grim and dark things in the world, his life was filled with light now.
However, there was a shadow that would dim that light.
The only things that had troubled Balian in his life so far had been war and affairs of state, all of which he had overcome. With the death of his parents he was of course crowned King and he quickly won the people's love. One day, he would have to disappear from them, for a warning came to him.
He was woken up in the middle of the night by guards that came knocking on his chamber door. Both him and the queen sat up and wondered what could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until morning. Nevertheless, Balian got up and headed for the door.
The hallway was dim but his eye still had to adjust to the light. His solar was also kept dim and only a few candles were lit. Upon entering, a chill crept inside his robes and seemed to go marrow deep. Hunched in a chair in front of him sat someone with damp dark hair and pale skin. The person looked up at him when he approached, though his visage was a horrible thing to behold. One eye had been ferociously torn from the socket and an equally savage attack had torn his jaw, though that wound was old and it was merely scarred now. It still looked grim.
"Y-you must... Run!" The trembling man said. His clothes were rags. The guards had been thoughtful enough to wrap him in a cloak.
"Who are you?" Balian asked, confused. His eyes searched for an explanation in the faces of those present, but all they said was that he came to the palace like this, but no one could get anything out of him besides two words. "The King."
His eye twitched as he let out a ragged breath. "The north. The far north. The wild." Any man could see that he was not from Elalimeth, but the father north you went, the less people you were likely to encounter.
"The wilds? No one lives in the wilds." Balian said, defiantly. "Who has done this to you? Speak."
"Them. The dark ones." Despite his condition, the man managed a smile. A manic smile. "They have been here before, thousands of years ago. You have forgotten them, but we have not. We are the remnants of an ancient world. You must run, or die." The man slipped from the chair and fell to his knees on the floor.
Instantly, Balian knelt down and supported him. The man was limp and fell into his arms. A hush fell over the room. The slightest noise was audible.
"Something has awoken in the north." The man's voice was raw and hoarse now, the effort of speaking was straining. "Something that has been slumbering beneath the earth for many lifetimes." His grip tightened on the king's collar. "He his gathering his armies. So many have joined him and so many have died. Run, my King. They are coming." And with his last breath, his strength faded from him."
The king closed the eyes on the dead man and stood. A moment (that felt like an age) passed before he spoke. The command was simple. "We ride north."
That is some time ago. Despite his warning, the King opted to gather a small force and ride north. He would not have Elalimeth bend to anything. Balian was confident that the might of his Kingdom could match most. He bid his family farewell, though it was not easy. The Queen shed no tears but demanded the he come home with his shield, or on it. No word was spread about the warning for fear of public panic, so the King rode off in silence. His family stayed in their palace and were rarely seen, leading the people of Elalimeth to believe that they had left or that something else sinister was going on.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
No word was sent forth upon the King's return. No word of why they had left or what they had found. No explanation of why they were fewer than when they left. Balian rode in through the main gate of the capital, dressed in his fine armor and a wolfskin cloak. His people stopped on the street in awe, some unable to fathom that their King had returned, though where from was unclear to them.
Only one thing is certain. They did find something in the north. Something far more terrible than they had expected. Balian has returned home and makes his way to the royal palace in Elalimeth's capital, bearing messages, warnings and dire news for the other Kingdoms.
First, he rushes to his family.
King Balian Fornost
"Come death and destruction, fire and ice. Elalimeth remains strong."
{Age}
38
{Personality}
Balian is a good king. That's what most people would say and the general impression. But king is only a title; a title with many, many benefits and responsibility. Behind it is a man and he is what makes the King. He was raised to be just and fair, but also to punish those who had wronged, by the manner and severity in which they had wronged. He is a man that values his honor very highly and is very proud, a pride that is easily wounded. Being a King has many obligations and a lot of responsibility, but that is welcome to him. Balian loves his people and does what he can to gain their love back, by ruling as best he can in his Kingdom. He truly believes that there is great capacity for both good and evil in every human being, but that it is up to each person to decide which of the two they will live by. That is also why he is a harsh judge if he is to decide what to do with a certain criminal. He judges fairly, but there will be no changing his decision once it has been spoken.
To his family he is a loving and kind man, though he is busy. If a people can stand together and love each other and treat each other with respect and kindness, they can be mighty. That is one side of the coin, on the other he is a warrior, fierce and terrifying. If war can be avoided, that is the option he will take, but if it must come to it then Balian will not hesitate to call his banners and assemble Elalimeth's mighty armies and march with all his strength and fury upon his enemies. He is not one you wish to anger.
{Appearance}
Balian is tall and muscular, with the perfect build for a swordsman. He is not incredibly fast or super agile, a well built man. You'll most often see him in his black quilted doublet with a surcoat over it, displaying the arms of Elalimeth. His hair is either tied up behind his head or kept loose. His eyes are a certain shade of grey, almost like iron but darker.
{Skills}
Balian is a great swordsman stemming from countless hours of training. A formidable and terrifying opponent on the battlefield. Less so is he skilled at politics. See, Balian values his honor and his pride very highly and honorable men don't do well in politics. To watch him sit at a meeting with other regents and discuss such matters is like watching a bear in a trap.
{History}
Screaming. Like very other newborn, was the way he came into this world. His parents had been visiting the Kingdom of Faolla, and it had been a long journey. It was a month before they saw home again, having been occupied by feasts and hunts and tourneys and such things, in their honor and in the honor of their unborn child. Three days after they reached the capital of Elalimeth, where their seat was and still is, his mother gave birth to Balian. It was cold as it is in the north, but there were no complications. He was strong and quickly grew, making it obvious that he would become a strong child and man in years to come.
Balian grew and grew and grew and when the time came, he was taught how to fight with sword and other weapons; hammers, spears, axes and more, but it was only the sword that he really excelled with. It was partially selective. Balian grew up with stories of his father and his prowess in battle with his famous sword, and wanted to be just like him. All other weapons were uninteresting to him. In time he became a great swordsman and a terrifying opponent. The years went by.
For a long time his days were spent training with his weapons and when he reached a certain age, chasing girls. But there was only so much you could do when you were a member of the royal family. They taught him how to speak properly and how to behave around base-born and highborn alike. There would come a day when he would have to marry, though Balian did not look forward to that. He always did as his parents told him, but in this he could not obey. It was his life and his choice and that lead to great conflict between them.
Eventually, he would come to meet a woman who would sweep him off his feet. That woman would become his queen, and suddenly Balian was not against marriage at all. His parents approved of the match and the wedding was held a month after their official blessing.
That would soon produce heirs, and despite all the battles he had seen since he grew to be a man and all the grim and dark things in the world, his life was filled with light now.
However, there was a shadow that would dim that light.
The only things that had troubled Balian in his life so far had been war and affairs of state, all of which he had overcome. With the death of his parents he was of course crowned King and he quickly won the people's love. One day, he would have to disappear from them, for a warning came to him.
He was woken up in the middle of the night by guards that came knocking on his chamber door. Both him and the queen sat up and wondered what could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until morning. Nevertheless, Balian got up and headed for the door.
The hallway was dim but his eye still had to adjust to the light. His solar was also kept dim and only a few candles were lit. Upon entering, a chill crept inside his robes and seemed to go marrow deep. Hunched in a chair in front of him sat someone with damp dark hair and pale skin. The person looked up at him when he approached, though his visage was a horrible thing to behold. One eye had been ferociously torn from the socket and an equally savage attack had torn his jaw, though that wound was old and it was merely scarred now. It still looked grim.
"Y-you must... Run!" The trembling man said. His clothes were rags. The guards had been thoughtful enough to wrap him in a cloak.
"Who are you?" Balian asked, confused. His eyes searched for an explanation in the faces of those present, but all they said was that he came to the palace like this, but no one could get anything out of him besides two words. "The King."
His eye twitched as he let out a ragged breath. "The north. The far north. The wild." Any man could see that he was not from Elalimeth, but the father north you went, the less people you were likely to encounter.
"The wilds? No one lives in the wilds." Balian said, defiantly. "Who has done this to you? Speak."
"Them. The dark ones." Despite his condition, the man managed a smile. A manic smile. "They have been here before, thousands of years ago. You have forgotten them, but we have not. We are the remnants of an ancient world. You must run, or die." The man slipped from the chair and fell to his knees on the floor.
Instantly, Balian knelt down and supported him. The man was limp and fell into his arms. A hush fell over the room. The slightest noise was audible.
"Something has awoken in the north." The man's voice was raw and hoarse now, the effort of speaking was straining. "Something that has been slumbering beneath the earth for many lifetimes." His grip tightened on the king's collar. "He his gathering his armies. So many have joined him and so many have died. Run, my King. They are coming." And with his last breath, his strength faded from him."
The king closed the eyes on the dead man and stood. A moment (that felt like an age) passed before he spoke. The command was simple. "We ride north."
That is some time ago. Despite his warning, the King opted to gather a small force and ride north. He would not have Elalimeth bend to anything. Balian was confident that the might of his Kingdom could match most. He bid his family farewell, though it was not easy. The Queen shed no tears but demanded the he come home with his shield, or on it. No word was spread about the warning for fear of public panic, so the King rode off in silence. His family stayed in their palace and were rarely seen, leading the people of Elalimeth to believe that they had left or that something else sinister was going on.
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
No word was sent forth upon the King's return. No word of why they had left or what they had found. No explanation of why they were fewer than when they left. Balian rode in through the main gate of the capital, dressed in his fine armor and a wolfskin cloak. His people stopped on the street in awe, some unable to fathom that their King had returned, though where from was unclear to them.
Only one thing is certain. They did find something in the north. Something far more terrible than they had expected. Balian has returned home and makes his way to the royal palace in Elalimeth's capital, bearing messages, warnings and dire news for the other Kingdoms.
First, he rushes to his family.