"I don't know which is worse--this disease or the filthy humans it's consuming."
INTRODUCTION
"My name is Adriel. I hate expansionists and arsonists. I like... trees."
"My people have decided to send their best, so really, you can all leave if you feel the call of cowardice. The Serass and I are all that will be required to end this filthy affair."
[B A S I C S]
Nicknames: The Ghoul, The Elf.
Gender: Male.
Age: 90.
Race: Elf.
Origin: Rielorn.
Voice: Adriel's voice is deep and rich. Not so much the voice of a natural leader, but rather of a cold reality.
Class: Infiltrator.
Offensive/Defensive: Offensive.
Magical Affinity: Medium; he uses magic more in the way of enhancing his physical style of combat.
PHYSICALITY
[A P P E A R A N C E]
Hair: His hair is almost never the same for very long. For formal events, he might wear it tied back and braided out of his mask. For missions, Adriel places it up and out of his eyes, or to the side of his face. His hair color differs about as often as his style. Adriel prefers unnatural colors such as whites, or reds. But depending on the time and place might opt for his regular black hair. Facial hair is not common for elves, and as such Adriel will never know the pleasure of keeping it, or the numerous cuts from shaving it.
Eyes: Gold.
Complexion:
Height: 5'10".
Build: There's muscle on his slender frame, which is not apparent through his loose choice in upper body wear.
Weight: 157 lbs.
Body Markings: Tattoos, tattoos, tattoos! Tattoos in the tribe are awarded, and while they might look like art are deeply symbolic. Wings anywhere on the body indicate that the elf has a flying mount, while fangs indicate that a beast has been subdued. However, the tattoo to be most weary of is one of a skull over Adriel's heart. This signifies that this elf walks with death. This tattoo is a bit double edged. Unlike the rest of the markings which show valor or high esteem in the tribe, this tattoo denotes one that has made a tough sacrifice. They have gone against some of the natural customs of the civilization, in order to ensure others can have them. And surprisingly, Adriel has very few scars to note. One of the more important ones are two scars, roughly the same spacing, on either one of Adriel's inner thighs. These come from riding a wild mount, and the saddle cutting into the thigh. Many elves get these scars from taming mounts.
[D E S C R I P T I O N]
Adriel is not an easy elf to describe--while rigid and serious, heâs a free spirit at his core, and this has left his outer appearance to always be a bit different. He is average height for his race, with tan skin and naturally dark hair. However, he colors it according to how he is feeling at the time. Sometimes itâs white, sometimes itâs red, sometimes itâs any color he can manage. He has a collection of natural dyes that he harvests from the forest. His hair, through his electrical affinity, can be made to stand on end or fall flat and out of the way. Generally, he wears it in a trademark mohawk. The elf is a renowned assassin within the society, and like the majority of Elves, this shows through his posture and upkeep of his attire. Adriel always keeps weapons at the ready, and he almost never wears anything that the elf would deem cumbersome. No one who looked at Adriel would confuse him for a simple soldier or carpenter. His posture is from years of rigorous training, his manners are those of an officer, his form proper, and his speech impeccable in elvish grammar and vocabulary. While strongly familiar with common tongue, he finds some rules ridiculous, and struggles with small details.
Adriel also has several tattoos. Tattoos in his village, and with the rest of the community, stem from great achievements. Anything from slaying beasts, to ones of warning to other elves, get placed upon the body. As such, Adrielâs body has been a canvas for a great number of tattoos. While they might be easily looked upon in his community, to outsiders it would probably unseemly and downright barbaric.
Being given an infiltrator has never gone to Adrielâs head. Elves are prosperous only when they forge a path with their own hands. Now that heâs grown a bit older, and a bit wiser, Adriel has taken to giving back to the community at large. While his job does keep him busy, and far away from home, upon returning Adriel is always quick to reenter society and be among his kind.
MENTALITY
Adriel is a bit of an oddball. He's very much two sides of a single coin. Side one is for those lucky enough to be born an Elf. Adriel is a decorated war hero. He fought in the last elven war against the humans, and as a young Cavalier he was brilliant. Most elves still see him as this; they'd think of him as a charming, if gruff, socialite and he'd give them no reason to change this opinion. To the Elves, Adriel shows respect, compassion, friendship, and wisdom. He's always eager to offer his advice, company, and aid; all they had to do was ask.
However, the opposite side of that coin is for all those unlucky enough to be born of any other race. Adriel is a bit of a racist. He dislikes the Orcs as he finds them slaves to their religion. He feels they're unable to wrench themselves free of their teachings, although he finds truth in their Faoryuun. Humans, however, Adriel has the utmost contempt for. He finds them dirty, he hates how they live, he hates that they believe they're wise enough to make world-changing decisions at the ripe old age of 40. Bah! He despises how often they breed, and how they always want to ruin more of the planet with their mindless building of cities and warmongering.
There are some traits that shine through both sides of this coin though. Adriel always has a certain skepticism about him. He's egotistical, and he's blunt. Adriel always likes to get tasks done as quickly as possible; going so far as to make a new plan if he absolutely has to. Adriel admires all those who care for family, as he is very compassionate about his own (and he has no desire to make a new one). Lastly, Adriel likes gardeners. If you're someone who gives back to the planet through gardening, you're Adriel's kind of people.
[Q U I R K S]
- Petty human hater: Itâs no secret that Adriel hates humans. He hates their smell, he hates their machinery, and their stupid way of life. But he also hates their stupid round ears. Just about anything Adriel can find to disagree with humans he will. Their lifespan sucks, they make poor decisions, and they mate like the world is going to end and they just ingested a pound of veluptroot.
- Master of the slippery slope: And speaking of hating humans, this can start a âslippery logic train.â Itâs simple! All the elf has to do is find something that humans do, or can do better than Adriel, and then begin to ponder if doing that thing makes Adriel the same as a human! An example would be riding a horse. Adriel all but refuses to do this, as humans use it for their main mode of transportation, and the elf wouldnât be caught dead imitating a filthy round-ear.
- Hairstylist: Adriel loves his hair. He tends to put it in all shapes, and all colors. At this point, itâs become a compulsion. Sure, heâs got reasons to. Like to make it easier to infiltrate a human capital and kill a noble. Or to blend in better with nature, but the reality of the situation is that Adriel just likes making his hair do different things. A little known fact is that Adriel will happily do anyone elseâs hair that ask. Even a filthy human! He takes great pride in his work.
- Filthy Litter Bugs! It's nice to pick up trash off the side of the road to give a bit back to the planet. It's not nice to stall the party because you saw the glint of an old sword-blade in the corner of your eye, littered from some old battlefield. But, that's what happens when you're the environmental equivalent of a crazy cat lady.
- Cantankerous Ho: Having a deepset fear of falling in love and feeling abject disgust when subjected to love, Adriel doesn't really like to flirt or tease people. He'll throw an occasional joke at a friend, but he's really quite the serious person, and him being a ho does not alter this. Hey, remember how he hates humans with an eruptive passion? He sometimes has a different sort of passion for the ladies, and has been known to frequent... er, certain respectable establishments to see them. It's not his favorite personality trait in himself, but he's come to accept it a little more than he probably should.
Adriel does not necessarily believe in the laws of society, rather he believes in the law of nature. This has many parts. For his work, Adriel believes in the law of survival. Sometimes it is not the fittest that survive, but those best suited to the world. Humans have a low lifespan, and are not as smart as Elves (might be a biased opinion) so are they really fit, as a species, to live? Adriel does not believe in rampant killing. No animal in nature kills for sport, or prey. They oftentimes leave young to fend for themselves if a predator kills a mother. So Adriel takes pride not to have collateral damage.
However, in a personal sense these same laws govern differently. When finding a mate, Adriel doesnât believe in the concept of love. Heâs lived a very long life and never felt a strong compulsion he couldnât rationalize away. While his people might be lovers at their core, he hasnât quite drank the moji-plant juice.
As the law of nature is his guide, Adriel is concerned with the state of the world. He always tries to look after the forest when heâs there. If pesky humans have made awful campsites, or left garbage strewn about, Adriel does his best to clean up after them. Internally, heâs doing his best not to slay the horrible round ears.
[A G E N D A]
Adriel has a strong tie to the wilds. His motivation in life, other than serving the council, is to serve the world. If thereâs anything he believes he can do, he will. While this makes him something of a softie towards the Tegea, Adriel does try to keep much of his respect towards the world a secret. Adriel has two main goals in life: The first is continuing to subdue human society for as long as he lives. As Adriel has been involved in plenty of plots to assassinate well known merchants and âexpansionists,â he believes this is an achievable goal throughout his life. The second goal is to bring the study of magic into serious consideration within the elven race. Currently elves only really have shaman as their basis for magic. Elves with their near endless life-cycle and incredible talent could see a prospering magical force at their disposal. If elves gave magic a consideration their power would rise tremendously.
[F E A R S]
Human expansion: There is nothing Adriel fears more than human expansion. In his mind they already have too much territory. Humans live such drastically reduced lives, and yet as a society they have not quite mastered taking care of their planet.
War: Adriel is a capable combatant yet, he knows war would have severe consequences on all those involved. The idea of rampant collateral damage, extreme loss of life, and not to mention the toll on the world; would be unparalleled. It is for this reason that Adriel values his job as an assassin. From the shadows he can help steer the world in the correct direction.
Falling in love: Ah yes, falling in love. Adriel knows and respects many people who have been in love. Yet, he knows this is a trap. While in love one is not free to move how they see fit. They are not free to do many things that they have to. That, and there is now a place in the loverâs heart which is a weakness.
[L I K E S]
- If weâre being honest, which I guess this is the place for; Adriel loves the shit out of strawberries. Well most fruit, in general, is his bane but Strawberries hold a special place in his heart. Thereâs just one problem. Strawberries are natives to field, and are only cultivated by one race⊠filthy humans.
- Adriel likes the idea of riding a horse. He canât actually do it. He also thinks it looks stupid since thatâs what humans do. But the idea is interesting.
- Adriel really likes studying magic. Any text he comes across, he almost immediately harps on. He believes that elves are behind the times in their study of the arcane.
- Adriel likes when women flirt with him. Yes, he has a horrible personality. And yes, he'll probably just make them feel like they wasted his time, but inside it's like his heart is hugging a stuff Sphinx he's had since he was 4. He might even flirt back on the rare occasion, even if he's quick to shut it down if it sounds like more serious than he prefers.
- ...and speaking of, the elf may or may not (he totally does) have his childhood stuffed animal kept at his house. It's there. He's hugged it. There's nothing wrong with this. Leave him alone.
[D I S L I K E S]
- Any race other than elves, particularly humans. A couple of orcs are excluded from his rampant hatred, but it's more like he pretends they're big green elves.
- He thinks beer is disgusting. He knows! The humans drink it, itâs a pretty natural drink all things considered; but he hates it. (Needless to say he canât hold his liquor). The idea of mashing up plants and then draining them of their essence, letting them rot, and straining out all that is left sounds distasteful.
- Disrespect. Even towards humans Adriel shows very little disrespect. He might hate them, he might believe that they are filthy, but he shows him the respect they have earned. If one did manage to impress Adriel, he would happily show them respect⊠he would probably still be mean though.
- Lastly, Adriel dislikes riding a mount. And by dislikes he means canât. Sure! He can ride on the back of a roc for a spell before he drops down from the heavens, however if you asked him to ride it Adriel couldnât! It all stems back from a fear he had as a child from his first mount. Since then, no riding of any mount has been done.
RATING SYSTEM
[Excellent] - â â â â â â
[Strong] - â â â â â â
[Competent] - â â â â ââ
[Average] - â â â âââ
[Poor] - â â ââââ
[Learning] - â âââââ
[Scrub] - ââââââ
You have a limit of 20 stars.
[Excellent] - â â â â â â
[Strong] - â â â â â â
[Competent] - â â â â ââ
[Average] - â â â âââ
[Poor] - â â ââââ
[Learning] - â âââââ
[Scrub] - ââââââ
You have a limit of 20 stars.
PROWESS
- Surveyor [Average] â â â âââ He is thorough, and he can track a target to the end of the world, or just peep on women bathing in a lake. His surveying skill lets Adriel take a mental image of a location, it lets him track multiple paths for an assassination, and lets him keep a full radius of defense around him. In this way, Adriel can keep track of a zone and never have to take his eyes off an opponent.
- Reaction time [Competent] â â â â ââ Adriel's reaction time is fast enough that it can keep up with his tremendous speed. In this way, Adriel can make split second decisions, and change an action which, to most, might have been already completed. It gives him a right postponement. Essentially, a do-over for a move which might ultimately be a trap or terrible decision. While his reaction speed might not be quick enough for a complete negation of all damage caused from a badly planned move, it will at least reduce the consequences.
[C L A S S | S K I L L S]
- Speed: [Strong] â â â â â â Adriel considers himself to be the fastest being alive. He lives his speed. As such, Adriel takes pride to ensure that his speed is at its best, either via normal means like training, or by enhancing his already quick moves with lightning. This is Adriel's best stat for a reason, the Elf takes great pride in his style which is entirely based on this stat.
- Assassination: [Competent] â â â â ââ In reality, Adriel isn't the best assassin to ever walk Tegea. He'd insist anyways that this is the case. However, his quick thinking, attention to detail, and reflexes certainly add to this. Adriel is a very competent assassin, his eyes spot weaknesses in armor, and an opponents way of fighting. Adriel is all about maximizing weaknesses, and quickly taking down an opponent. While this stat isn't high, it's more than bolstered by his other abilities.
[SPELLS | POWERS]
- Lightning manipulation [Competent] â
â
â
â
ââ Finally, he's come to command lightning. Adriel has tamed the lightning. He can generate it from his body, without harm to himself. Coat weapons with it. Blind, stun, paralyze, and deafen opponents using it, and cut through their armor with ease. Lightning might as well be the element of armor shredding, because before it Armor might as well not exist. Adriel uses his lightning as a trump card, and another base to his style. He can enhance his speed, strength, and reflexes, give his weapons a lightning sharp edge, and lastly use it the way nature intended; to give himself some range. To Adriel there is no better element. Well, maybe the summons of his master, but that's up for debate.
[W E A K N E S S E S]- Slow learner: He's a old cranky spider webby butt who's set in his ways. This also makes him quite stubborn, and difficult to negotiate with once he's made a decision.
- Tunnel vision: Unlike Bo, he does not consider escape and consequence. When it comes to assassinations, he only plans up to the point of the kill, and he's most certainly not a team player.
- All for one: His greatest strength is Adriel's greatest weakness. Adriel strongly believes in the thought of enhancement. All of his abilities compliment one another, they work in sync to create one hell of a speedy electric elf. There's just one problem with this, this is all Adriel has. He's a one-trick pony, and if defeated or analyzed, Adriel has no backup or trump card to pull him out of any mess he's put himself into.
ARMAMENT
Adriel wears the lightest armor possible. There are few dragging pieces if any, Adriel shies away from garments that flutter, such as capes or skirts. His boots are made to compliment his weight and speed.
[C L O T H I N G]
His daily wear consists of either black or plenty of colors. Vibrant reds, and greens, all with the softest silk and cotton possible.
[I T E M S]
Adriel carries vials of poisons and potions on him almost always, and no, he does not get them mixed up. He's never far from something that can be used as an improvised weapon.
[T O K E N S]
A tree. Idfk.
[P R I M A R Y | W E A P O N]
Weapon Name: Hidden Snakes
Weapon Type: Bracelet/whip/sword/spear.
Length: At its shortest, around three feet from end to end. At its longest, 10 feet.
Weight: 4 pounds.
Origin: These weapons are ones that Adriel fashioned when training with his master in the wilderness of the Orc lands. They are made of semi-precious river stones, and thread from giant spiders; which is known for its strength, and stretching capabilites. Normally, they are ordinary bracelets which take up the whole of his forearms. They snake up his forearms from his wrist and each stone seems to be of varying lengths. However, when an electric current is put through them, the bracelets can constrict to form a perfect sword. With a different amount of energy, a whip-like weapon appears with the electric amplifying its cutting ability. The weapons are quick and effective. Adriel can utilize them for strangling, garroting, cutting, swordplay, and in its rarest of forms a spear.
[O T H E R | W E A P O N S]
Weapon Name: Silver long swords
Weapon Type: Long swords
Length: 3 feet.
Weight: 6 pounds each
Origin: These are nothing special. Made from Elven smiths, they are silver to kill the un-pure. Normally Adriel coats them in poison and utilizes them as quick means to dispose of easy prey. He does not use these on anything which would pose a challenge.
BACKGROUND
[M A R I T A L | S T A T U S]
Single. No one can put up with his shit.
[F A M I L Y | T I E S]{ -100 | 0 | +100 }| D a d | [ 100 ] | Siblings | [ 25-75 ]
[O C C U P A T I O N]
Adriel is an elven infiltrator. He's most notable for killing humans and corrupt elves, even in peacetime. His exploits have earned him fame as a codename, the Ghoul. As Adriel has been an infiltrator for so long, and his human killing has been so numerous, there are now bedtime stories about him which humans use as a cautionary tale for their children. "When you grow up don't be rude, or he'll slip poison in your food. If you go out, lag about, or else the Ghoul will leave you strewn about." Happy little songs like that.
[S O C I A L | R A N K]
Officer. It's not the best of ranks, but a worthwhile one, and he's rather popular when he returns home.
[O P I N I O N S]- Humans: Hates hates hates hates hates.
- Elves: What a lovely bunch of well meaning, well mannered, and beautifully cultured individuals.
- Orcs: One or two are okay, he supposes.
[R E L A T I O N S]{ -100 | 0 | +100 }| O r c B r o | [ 90 ] | A d r i e l | [ 100 ] | G r e t c h e n | [ ??+10 -I-I don't know what you're talking about, I don't even know her. I don't associate with human trash. ]
[1B I O | H I S T O R Y]
At the age of ten, the military life was chosen for Adriel, and what brought him to the path of cavalier was his ambitions (and his utter incompetence with a bow). He lusted to see the outside world, and to see the humansâ magic. Every time a wandering trader would pass through, Adrielâs tiny arms would leave filled with spell books, or tomes of knowledge. All this knowledge and desire to become a mage would have manifested Adriel into a wonderful Sorcerer if only heâd been born human. Elves look at magic as relatively uninspiring. Thereâs plenty that can be done with it, but not enough that they view it as a necessity. While elven shamans are treated as doctors, or holy men, most other elves who inherit the gift look at it as an easy way to do dishes, or the laundry.
The Cavaliers are an interesting bunch, with a want for glory or adventure, or to impress pretty highborn girls. From this point in the elfâs life until they are in the ground, an elf is required to hold the traditions of a cavalier: Sword training from dusk until dawn, orders which compel conformity, and training for war. While humans look at war as a means to conquer one another, and take from the world at large, elves have a different meaning for the word. They use war to mean an ongoing conflict with nature.
Adrielâs society encouraged oneness with the universe. Everything they took, they gave back. Ribs from a beast would be made into a weapon, and even though they didnât eat its meat, they would turn it into food for their beasts of burden. However, the elves know that no creature is without strife for survival. There are beasts in the wilderness which flourish off malice, and anger. Cavaliers are tasked with putting these beasts to rest. Of course, any time there is an armed conflict, the Cavaliers come out in full force, but thereâs never a down time. If a new elven city needs to be built, theyâre there to protect the workers and help where they can. If an archeologist goes to study the ruins of ancient elven society, the cavaliers come bearing shields and torches. The cavaliers, essentially, turn relatively wayward youths into soldiers who give back to the community.
Sure, itâs no baker like his father wanted, but itâs a good job. Elves do have a wealth gap, and a cavalier will always be poor, but past training is an exciting and noble life. Adriel loved this life, he bonded with comrades, he fought terrible beasts, and he still imagined visiting human cities. His early life had seen Adriel become something of a human fancier. All of those spell books and tomes had given him belief that humans were the most amazing creatures on the planet. They had such short lifespans and accomplished so much. This was a thought that permeated elven tradition. Humans were new to the planet, so elves had to take care of the burdens they couldnât be tasked with.
It was in war that this thought would change, albeit slowly. Adriel was part of the 103rd division which typically dealt with beasts, but every now and then, got tasked with taking care of bandits. Horrible beings. Ones who couldnât grasp the laws of society. A bit like Adriel before he had joined the military. However, the consequences of adults carried more weight than those of children, and as such, any bandits which came into the elven woods were to be put down.
On one particular occasion the 103rd was called in to eliminate a large tribe of bandits eager to make the fertile woods home. They had not only set up camp, they had cut down large trees and set up spiked walls. The bandits had tried to claim what was not theirs, and Adriel was tasked with making sure they didnât live to regret this decision. For three days, scouts had spotted the encampment before the regime came upon it. On the third day, the elves fought back. The stronger elves broke down the massive doors of the fort. Adriel was on the front lines and rushed into the fray. It was a frenzy of blood as the humans were without their armor, and Adriel cut down more than he could count. He lost track in the battle, but his well-honed skills were more than good enough to take down the fellowship of thugs.
In the end, the elves had lost twenty men. Adriel stood in a pool of blood, his shield was bashed into oblivion at some point, but he had picked up another sword to counter for this. His impromptu decision making, quick footedness, and effortless killing, hadnât gone unnoticed.
âThe watchers are everywhere.â They tell you this when youâre young, but no one believes it. Yet always observing battles, watchers can spot those who have hidden talent, and in that battle, all eyes were on Adriel.
Within a week a new assignment, a black scroll, came into the barracks post. On it was a name, and instructions to come alone to a local church. Once there the elf found himself greeted by men he knew to be Infiltrators, an elite group who work for the government to change the world. Being given an invitation to join is not a choice. Adriel was be able to move from his parentsâ house (at the ripe age of 30) and essentially achieve the rank of a lord (if one were to compare elven statuses to a human's).
Infiltrator training was different -- a cavalier would place down his shield, and take up his own strength. Unlike cavalier soldiers which pigeonhole elves to become the most effective soldier unit, the Infiltrators make use of natural talents and hone the inner strength of an elf. For Adriel, this was his speed. As it turns out Adriel had insanely quick reaction times as well. The Infiltrators were quick to make use of this, and Adriel learned a new style of combat, one grittier and less noble than before. There was one downfall: the new Infiltrator learned very quickly that he couldnât ride a mount. Heâd be bucked off horses, and thrown from the wings of birds. Of course, Adriel tried and tried again, but just as he tried to take up archery in his youth, it wasnât for him. All this training would soon come to a head when Adriel was released to track the owner of the name on the black scroll, and Adriel knew it could be anyone; ministers, bakers, craftsmen, anyone in the village who harbored thoughts which were dangerous to the way of life the elves lived. Of course, they could be human or orc too, but the assignment to kill one from another race came to only the most seasoned Infiltrators. As it turned out, it was an elf with rebellious thoughts, who Adriel snuffed out without much struggle.
Adrielâs second assignment was a name all too familiar to him: his previous captain. It was important to note that "elves do not kill other elves," and those who are taken by the Infiltrators simply disappear. For many days, Adriel scouted his captain. He didnât know what his former friend was doing, but he couldnât question it.
Eventually, Adriel decided the best way to undue the captain was simple. Adriel greeted him as a friend. Passing by him on the street, Adriel ran into him and offered to make lunch for him. When the pair went out, Adriel slipped a poisoned pea into the soup of his old commander. The job was done, and the pair left as friends. The captain died in a week of a rare toxin no shaman could cure.
This task rested heavily on the young elfâs head, he took a leave of absence for a while, in order to clear his thoughts and understand if this was the correct path.
It was his caring father who nodded and listened, while he cleaned up the kitchen for the night. Fallonâs advice was not to lose hope. An Infiltrator was a tough job, but he was certain his son could do it. He mentioned, however, that since his son was working so hard, a vacation may have been in order. He'd seen some orc soldiers earlier that day traipsing about Rielorn, and proposed his son hitch a ride, as the entire city was abuzz with the news of the orcs possibly lifting their embargo.
Adriel had never seen an orc, but he was soon tasked with guarding the room where all of the delegates met. Adriel, like all Infiltrators, was given a new mask to celebrate his title--that of a long beaked bird which covered the face, with partitions only for the eyes. The meeting proceeded, and it seemed the elves were pushing strongly for the orcs to rejoin the rest of the world. A strong disagreement ensued, and he was not paying enough attention to realize which side first drew a weapon--after all, within moments a female orc, a monk guard as he would discover later, stepped in and disrupted the argument before it could begin. Adriel remains uncertain how it was she did it. Possibly by unleashing a fraction of her power; an enormous golden palm, curled into a fist, materialized in air above them pulsating with energy. She seemed to ignore it, even smiling pleasantly when others made eye contact.
He found that she was someone who lived outside of the walls and customs of the orcs in the hopes of converting wayward orcs back onto The Path, The Faoryuun. Monks had tough jobs, and they were mostly all incredibly skilled warriors. Anyone who dared to walk into plague-country alone had to be more than competent. Her name was Luenne, and it seemed she was well respected. They had asked her to accompany them not only to receive her protection, but her knowledge of the outside world was far greater than many of their kind.
There came more tense moments in the room, some where even Adriel moved forward his hands on his swords. Yet no violence came to pass. Eventually, a charter was signed, and the orcs would now officially had a place in the world alongside humans and elves--though they refused to take down their massive wall as the elves would have preferred. When the conference was all said and done, Adriel approached Luenne. His mind still clouded from his most recent assignment, he thought that studying underneath Luenne might give him some of her poise⊠plus, he was entranced with her power. The elves did not look at magic the same way he did. He saw it as a tool, and a weapon. Perhaps Luenne saw something in Adriel which he did not, or maybe she just liked the idea of an elven apprentice, whatever the reason Adriel would be with her for nearly thirty years.
In thirty years, he learned patience, he learned how to fight, and he learned control. In thirty years, Luenne did not teach Adriel a thing that she knew. However, she helped hone him, turned him from soft clay into something which resembled an Adriel of "true" potential. Yet, she also helped him unlock his most sacred art: Magic is different with everyone who uses it, and to Adriel, it came in the form of a jolting, living light that he came to manipulate between his fingers.
His task from his master had been one of repetition. Do one action, one hundred different times, with one hundred different variances. This went for every action. If he moved a cup, it had to be repeated, if he brushed his teeth, repeated, if he swung a sword, repeated. Every time he repeated an action, he learned a new way of doing things. He learned a perfect movement which could not be easily tracked, and allowed for a âclutchâ reaction where he could pull back from an action if he felt he made a wrong move. While practicing this style of fighting Adriel trained hard, eventually stepping up from 100 punches done 100 different ways, to 10000. It was the first day he completed this task, high above a mountain, when he felt his exhaustion kick in. No longer able to move, Adriel was about to collapse when he felt a new sensation. It was being struck, literally, by lightning. Thankfully he survived and learned his new magic trick from it.
All throughout his training, a small orc was by his side doing the same routine. At first, Adriel assumed the small thing was her child, only after being corrected did he learn it would be his sibling--a fellow student. It would take Adriel years to even address the quiet boy, who would grow up before his eyes. While they never talked much, the elf did come to recognize him as a brother, as their master desired.
Sooner than he expected, Adriel left training to return home to the elves. With his head on straight, and with a new power and path, Adriel quickly gained ranks as an Infiltrator. As his rank increased, so did his knowledge of how to use his powers. Yet, there would be one major change: his orders increasingly began to send him into human territory. Once, a band of bandits had captured and enslaved elves, using them for God knows what. By the time Adriel arrived, most of them had starved in their cages. Others were forced to fight one another to death for the amusement of the camp. Instead of thinking with the grace and poise of his master and young orc brother, Adriel went in like a savage, too quick to be stopped. Utilizing lightning, Adriel could strip their armor. The men were shredded, melted, and disintegrated by the time the elf was finished. He had seen much, but this had moved him off of his path of inner peace, and hatred was the only thing that remained. Adriel had found himself unable to feel empathy for any race that could breed creatures so cruel. No other beast in the forest would do this, and certainly no elf or orc. In that instant, his feelings for humans shifted drastically, and he requested to only go on missions which involved human targets. If possible heâd stop the spread of their kind, and hopefully take out the rest of his rage on them.
Decades later, long after his reputation swelled to its peak, the disease grew dire, and Adriel was called again to stand in during a delegation between elves and orcs. Luenne was not present this time; it did not stop him from looking for her. A little dismayed by the turnout of the orcs, he kept his eyes to the ground, and passed time by listening to the discussion. Typical of elves, they sought to propose a solution, an alliance of some sort.
To his surprise, there was a name he recognized. One named Higoht Ezengbo, apparently, had gained some newfound importance in the world in one of the more unfortunate ways. Well, Adriel thought, it was better than being dead. The elf scanned the colorful faces to see if he could recognize the little boy...
... There was not a single child in the room. Higoht, his serass, had been directly across from him all along, gritting his teeth quietly. The orc was... bigger than Adriel, now. Watching him, Adriel saw past the orc's stoic disposition, and sneered with annoyance when he suspected Higoht's mind was lollygagging elsewhere, when he noticed the orc's eyes close when they shuddered. That perfect student of Luenne, that serious little boy, was disgracing the entire room by letting something as pitiful as emotion stand in his way. Shortly afterwards, Adriel approached him and hissed in his ear.
"You're better than this," he said.
He attended the gala that his people hosted to help Higoht choose the "second" or whatever, of course, as elves weren't so much invited as they were expected to know when to show up. He kept to himself, exchanging small words with his kinsmen, and left early to get some rest. He wasn't certain how to react when the serass pointed to him as a Second the following day, but nonetheless found himself nodding silently, realizing this was correct. This was his new obligation to the world.
It would take two weeks to acquire a selection of Styx snakes. The orcs had not acquired one in advance for two reasons; the first, theyâre an uncommon species even amongst the thick wilderness of the Orc homelands. Even if one was found theyâre extremely temperamental creatures, prone to aggression and theyâre known to strike under the slightest sign of duress. The second reason is that Styx snakes are known to die in transport. They exist in such a small region for a reason, any major shift in temperature, or perhaps the feeling of being caged, can quickly kill a Styx snake. However, the Orcs had put plenty of manpower on this mission, their soldiers were sent out to scour the wilderness. Their enclosure was quite large, and magically enchanted to stay humid and warm. It was an ideal enclosure for such a simple creature. The snakes were plied with drugs to keep them docile during transport, and in only a matter of weeks the Elven forest of Ryelorn had seen its first ever Styx snakes.
Given the nature of the species, great care was made to ensure there would be no escaping. If a creature such as this got out, and could manage to thrive in the elven wilderness it would wreak havoc on the local wildlife. So, under lock and key, and a procession of guards a very large enclosure was brought to the elven capital, and put into a stone basement. Nerves were high that day. Adrielâs own father urged him to reconsider this experimental method. Yet, Adriel felt gifted for being chosen. If the elves were to have him as a second in command over this unit, heâd need to show courage. Before sunrise, that morning, Adriel made his way to the secure facility, and moved through the two locked doors.
An orc unlocked a door on the enclosure, it was a simple mechanism. When opened the cage released a small amount of smoke. Adriel believed this to be the drug which had pacified the creature. Rolling up his sleeve, the elf could feel his heart beat in his chest. His instincts urged him to reconsider this, even they knew what kind of hell this snake was known to inflict. Perhaps by will, or simply his dedication to the force, the elf inched his arm inside the cage. There was nothing. Stillness for a moment, as his arm groped into the darkness.
Without warning, a creature struck. Two, actually.
This pain was a creeping pain, with only enough time for Adriel to recoil his arm before it hit. The point of impact had been on his wrist, and the poison traveled quickly through his veins. Fire. Pure and simple climbed through his arm and into his chest. The feeling was excruciating. Like lightning scorching the skin from the inside. His mouth began to foam, his eyes began to darken, and his body writhed, and contorted in the most macabre of ways. An elf behind him quickly began to administer some healing magic, it was meant to dull the pain, but by now it did nothing. There is a legend which says that the bite of a Styx snake sends the victim into their own private hell, and there might be some truth to this. Each second felt like an eternity, as the chief doctor took the antidote off of the table, and forced it into the wound, and down the throat of Adriel.
Even with it in his system, the antidote seemed useless. The venom had wrapped itself around Adrielâs heart, and began to make it flutter. His lungs too seemed to breathe in only space. An emptiness which contained no air, and only futility. His hands dug into the earth, and bolts of lightning scattered from his form.
Then, silence.
The air seemed to go silent with the pain. Adriel hadnât noticed but he had been screaming while he thrashed. His body had been under too much turmoil to register the screams. The violent bolts of lightning which had leapt from his body had torn the place apart. One guard was downed his armor blackened, the walls were scorched, and cut, and the floor was cracked like a spiderâs web. But, at last, after an eternity in pain Adriel rose. He wiped his mouth and eyes to find blood. The elf wouldnât be surprised if every orifice in his body had bled. But it was over. It was finally Gods-damned over.
It was late in the afternoon when Adriel was allowed visitors. His father had been first, bringing fresh baked fijon fruit bread, and teas. It was a relaxing meal, although it could have used a bit of meat. However, his new comrade Higoht had come second. His eyes showed more compassion that Adriel would have expected, after all the orc had been through the process himself as a child, and would soon be witnessing many new recruits endure the same training. Higoht, however, had brought a better gift than Falon, he brought Adriel his weapons, and the elf knew it was time to get going. There was no rest for such an important journey lie before them. The two would leave shortly theyâd be visiting the human capital of Autumour. The journey itself was a long distance away, and one of the pair of them didnât ride a horse. So time was precious.
[F L A G S]
